Cellular functions are enabled by cascades of transient biological events. Imaging and tracking the dynamics of these events have proven to be a powerful means of understanding the principles of cellular processes. These studies have typically focused on translational dynamics. By contrast, investigations of rotational dynamics have been scarce, despite emerging evidence that rotational dynamics are an inherent feature of many cellular processes and may also provide valuable clues to understanding those cell functions. In this talk, I will present the recent research progress from my group in unraveling cell functions by measuring rotational dynamics in living cells. Our approach centers on the rotational tracking of two-faced Janus particles that were rendered optically asymmetric. The precisely measured rotational dynamics reveal particle-cell interactions that would otherwise be difficult probe with conventional quantitative methods.

“Waltz” of Janus particles in cells: Unravelling cell functions with single-particle rotational tracking

256th National Meeting (2018)

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