Flexible magnetic filaments as micromechanical sensors

Phys Rev Lett. 2003 Dec 31;91(26 Pt 1):260802. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.260802. Epub 2003 Dec 30.

Abstract

We propose a new micromechanical approach to probe bending rigidity at molecular scale. Long flexible filaments made of magnetic colloids and linkers are shown to adopt under magnetic field a hairpin configuration. Measuring the hairpin curvature as a function of the field intensity and the linker length from diffracted light allows us to deduce the linker bending rigidity kappa. The technique is presented for two types of linkers: a spontaneously adsorbing polymer and a grafted biomolecular.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acrylic Resins / chemistry*
  • Antigens / chemistry*
  • Biomechanical Phenomena / methods*
  • Colloids / chemistry*
  • Immunoglobulin G / chemistry*
  • Magnetics*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Protein Conformation
  • von Willebrand Factor / immunology

Substances

  • Acrylic Resins
  • Antigens
  • Colloids
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Von Willebrand antigen
  • von Willebrand Factor
  • carbopol 940