Safety of hematopoietic cell infusion in children with malignant and non-malignant diseases.

HPC infusions have been associated with a variety of adverse events related to either patient or HPC product-related factors. Studies documenting infusion-related AEs in children are limited. We reviewed HPC infusion records in 354 children.

Optical sorting and cultivation of denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation archaea.

Denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidizing (DAMO) microorganisms play an important role in the global carbon and nitrogen cycles as they are able to mediate methane oxidation using nitrite/nitrate under anoxic conditions. However, the physiological properties of DAMO microorganisms remain poorly understood, partially since the organisms are difficult to isolate or cultivate in pure culture and partially because of their long cultivation time. In this study, DAMO cell sorting has been conducted by integrating optical tweezers within enclosed microfluidic chips.

An optically actuated surface scanning probe.

We demonstrate the use of an extended, optically trapped probe that is capable of imaging surface topography with nanometre precision, whilst applying ultra-low, femto-Newton sized forces. This degree of precision and sensitivity is acquired through three distinct strategies. First, the probe itself is shaped in such a way as to soften the trap along the sensing axis and stiffen it in transverse directions.

A compact holographic optical tweezers instrument.

Holographic optical tweezers have found many applications including the construction of complex micron-scale 3D structures and the control of tools and probes for position, force, and viscosity measurement. We have developed a compact, stable, holographic optical tweezers instrument which can be easily transported and is compatible with a wide range of microscopy techniques, making it a valuable tool for collaborative research. The instrument measures approximately 30×30×35 cm and is designed around a custom inverted microscope, incorporating a fibre laser operating at 1070 nm.

Measuring nanoscale forces with living probes.

Optical trapping techniques have been used to investigate fundamental biological processes ranging from the identification of the processive mechanisms of kinesin and myosin to understanding the mechanics of DNA. To date, these investigations have relied almost exclusively on the use of isotropic probes based on colloidal microspheres. However, there are many potential advantages in utilizing more complex probe morphologies: use of multiple trapping points enables control of the interaction volume; increasing the distance between the optical trap and the sample minimizes photodamage in sensitive biological materials; and geometric anisotropy introduces the potential for asymmetric surface chemistry and multifunctional probes.