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Optical tweezers are well known for being able to control and move microscopic objects with high precision using focused laser beams. Alexander Grigorenko and colleagues report three-dimensional tweezers based on coupled pairs of gold nanodots in standard tweezer set-ups, which offer improved trapping efficiencies and reduced trapping volumes. Their tweezers could pave the way to improved manipulation of fragile, tiny biological objects.
Demonstration of an imaging system that can capture high-resolution 3D fluorescent images of biological speciments without the need for any moving parts.