Cell-contractile forces generated by the actomyosin cytoskeleton and transmitted to the extracellular matrix (ECM) drive cell adhesion, spreading, and migration. These forces are known to be critical during embryo morphogenesis, wound healing, immune response as well as pathological processes, such as cancer metastasis. Traction force microscopy (TFM) is a recognized experimental technique that measures the surface forces, also termed as tractions, that cells exert on a substrate. It relies on the computational analysis of the direction and the magnitude of elastic substrate deformations to reconstruct cell-generated traction forces. These deformations can be tracked and quantified by recording the displacement of fluorescent beads embedded in the substrate, as a result of the mechanical stress induced by an adherent cell.

DESCRIPTION

Polyacrylamide gel with fluorescent carboxylate-modified microspheres uniformly dispersed inside.

APPLICATIONS

TRACTION FORCE MICROSCOPY

CHARACTERISTICS

BENEFITS

• Robust & reliable

• Ready & easy to use

• No biological risk (synthetic matrix)

• Glass bottom: ideal for microscopy

• Stiffness and coating are decoupled

STORAGE

• Temperature: +4°C

• Shelf life: 3 months

BEADS

• Size: 0.2 µm

• Fluorophore: dark red

• Wavelength: Exit. / Emiss. ; 660 / 680 nm

• Cell seeding surface: 6.15 cm2

• Stiffness and coating are decoupled

*Specific beads upon request

CUSTOMIZATION

CHOOSE YOUR STIFFNESS

Standards stiffnesses:

• 8 kPa

• 10 kPa

• 12 kPa

*Specific stiffnesses upon request

CHOOSE YOUR COATING

Culture dishes and plates are pre-coated with ECM protein or synthetic amino acid.

Culture dedicated surface chemistry:

• Vitronectin (human; recombinant truncated)

• Fibronectin (human; plasma)

• Collagen I (rat; tail)

• Laminin (mouse; EHC sarcoma)

• Poly-Ornithine | Laminin

• Poly-Ornithine

UNIQUE FORMAT

• PD35

PRODUCT SHEET