High-resolution assessment of multidimensional cellular mechanics using label-free refractive-index traction force microscopy.

ABSTRACT: A critical requirement for studying cell mechanics is three-dimensional assessment of cellular shapes and forces with high spatiotemporal resolution. Traction force microscopy with fluorescence imaging enables the measurement of cellular forces, but it is limited by photobleaching and a slow acquisition speed. Here, we present refractive-index traction force microscopy (RI-TFM), which simultaneously quantifies the volumetric morphology and traction force of cells using a high-speed illumination scheme with 0.5-Hz temporal resolution. Without labelling, our method enables quantitative analyses of dry-mass distributions and shear (in-plane) and normal (out-of-plane) tractions of single cells on the extracellular matrix. When combined with a constrained total variation-based deconvolution alg

SUBMITTER: Lee M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10799850 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature