Thesis supervisor: Lóránd Kelemen
Web address (URL): https://brc.hu/biophys_optical_micromanipulation.php Location of studies (in Hungarian): Institute of Biophysics - Bionanoscience Research Unit - Optical Micromanipulation Research Group Abbreviation of location of studies: SZBK
Description of the research topic:
A novel, practically non-invasive way to study biological samples in a controlled way is the use of optical tweezers. Its advanced version, that uses multiple trapping points is called holographic optical tweezers; it can be used, for instance to trap and actuate artifdicial 3D micro objects with 6 degrees of freedom. The main goal of the planned work is to use such micro objects to study biological processes characteristic to single cells. We are going to look into the strength of cell surface protein-protein or protein-macromolecule interactions using optically trapped microtools having properly functionalized surface. The results are holding particular interest in uderstanding cell membrane transport phenomena (for instance for blood brain barrier), where the first step of the transport is the binding of the material to be transported (such as simple or complex molecules, protein or even nanoparticle) to cell membrane receptors. The proimary research tool is a fluorescence microscope integrated with holographic optical tweezers.
Required language skills: English Further requirements: TDK munka