Speaker
Description
Optical tweezers enable the direct measurement of forces, work, and fluctuations in single-particle and single-molecule systems. They are a vital experimental tool in non-equilibrium statistical physics, ranging from biomolecular folding to soft matter dynamics. However, manual operation limits throughput and hinders the systematic probing of rare events and heterogeneous dynamics.
We present SmartTrap, a fully autonomous optical tweezers platform designed for high-throughput studies of non-equilibrium processes. SmartTrap integrates real-time, deep learning–based 3D particle tracking, adaptive feedback control, and automated microfluidic handling. These features enable the system to execute complete force spectroscopy protocols without human intervention. Once initialized, the system operates continuously, performing trapping, molecular attachment, force manipulation, and bead replacement autonomously.
We demonstrate its capabilities using DNA pulling experiments on λ-DNA, which enable high-throughput force-extension curve and folding-unfolding kinetics experiments. Beyond biomolecules, SmartTrap can be used to study colloidal interactions and single-cell experiments. By providing high-throughput access to microscopic fluctuations, SmartTrap creates new opportunities for conducting quantitative tests of non-equilibrium statistical physics in complex systems.