Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Measuring transport properties like diffusion and directional flow is essential for understanding dynamics within heterogeneous systems including living cells and novel materials. Fluorescent molecules traveling within these inhomogeneous environments under the forces of Brownian motion and flow exhibit fluctuations in their concentration, which are directly linked to the transport properties. We present a method utilizing single photon interference and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to simultaneously measure transport of fluorescent molecules within aqueous samples. Our method, within seconds, measures transport in thousands of homogenous voxels (100 nm)3 and under certain conditions, eliminates photo-physical artifacts associated with blinking of fluorescent molecules. A comprehensive theoretical framework is presented and validated by measuring transport of quantum dots, associated with VSV-G receptor along cellular membranes as well as within viscous gels.
Source: PLoS ONE
Authors: Ipsita Saha, Saveez Saffarian
Institution: University of Utah
Language: English
Subfield: Biophysics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,595
Awards: G2635507693, G2837365288, G9000264079
OpenAlex ID: W2995872364