Study of stiffness of biological objects by Brillouin spectroscopy

Abstract

Brillouin spectroscopy is a powerful non-invasive method that allows measuring mechanical properties of biological objects with high accuracy and in real time. The basic principle of the method is the interaction of light with acoustic phonons in the material, which leads to a change in the frequency of light depending on the stiffness of the medium. In our research, we apply this technique to study cell stiffness, which is important for understanding processes such as disease development, cell differentiation, and cell responses to external influences. Measuring the mechanical properties of cells with high precision allows us to identify changes at the molecular level that may be associated with pathological conditions such as cancer or fibrosis. Due to the non-destructive nature of the method, we can perform in vivo studies, making Brillouin spectroscopy a unique tool for biomechanical research. In our study, we investigated cells of 20-30 microns in size. We made these cells absorb magnetite particles. Thus, in our study, we could observe both phonon scattering and magnon scattering due to magnetite when we performed Brillouin spectroscopy.

Speaker

Filchenkov Igor
Saratov State University
Russia

Discussion

Ask question