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Fully angularly resolved 3D microrheology with optical tweezers (2024)
Journal Article
Matheson, A. B., Mendonca, T., Smith, M. G., Sutcliffe, B., Fernandez, A. J., Paterson, L., …Tassieri, M. (2024). Fully angularly resolved 3D microrheology with optical tweezers. Rheologica Acta, 63(3), 205-217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-024-01435-1

Microrheology with optical tweezers (MOT) is an all-optical technique that allows the user to investigate a materials’ viscoelastic properties at microscopic scales, and is particularly useful for those materials that feature complex microstructures,... Read More about Fully angularly resolved 3D microrheology with optical tweezers.

Effect of skin color on optical properties and the implications for medical optical technologies: a review (2024)
Journal Article
Setchfield, K., Gorman, A., Simpson, A. H. R. W., Somekh, M. G., & Wright, A. J. (2024). Effect of skin color on optical properties and the implications for medical optical technologies: a review. Journal of Biomedical Optics, 29(01), Article 010901. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.jbo.29.1.010901

Significance: Skin color affects light penetration leading to differences in its absorption and scattering properties. COVID-19 highlighted the importance of understanding of the interaction of light with different skin types, e.g., pulse oximetry (P... Read More about Effect of skin color on optical properties and the implications for medical optical technologies: a review.

Development of hydrogel-based standards and phantoms for non-linear imaging at depth (2023)
Journal Article
Haseeb, F., Bourdakos, K. N., Forsyth, E., Setchfield, K., Gorman, A., Venkateswaran, S., …Bradley, M. (2023). Development of hydrogel-based standards and phantoms for non-linear imaging at depth. Journal of Biomedical Optics, 28(12), Article 126007. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.28.12.126007%5D

Significance: Rapid advances in medical imaging technology, particularly the development of optical systems with non-linear imaging modalities, are boosting deep tissue imaging. The development of reliable standards and phantoms is critical for valid... Read More about Development of hydrogel-based standards and phantoms for non-linear imaging at depth.

Relevance and utility of the in-vivo and ex-vivo optical properties of the skin reported in the literature: a review [Invited] (2023)
Journal Article
Setchfield, K., Gorman, A., Simpson, A. H. R. W., Somekh, M. G., & Wright, A. J. (2023). Relevance and utility of the in-vivo and ex-vivo optical properties of the skin reported in the literature: a review [Invited]. Biomedical Optics Express, 14(7), 3555-3583. https://doi.org/10.1364/boe.493588

Imaging non-invasively into the human body is currently limited by cost (MRI and CT scan), image resolution (ultrasound), exposure to ionising radiation (CT scan and X-ray), and the requirement for exogenous contrast agents (CT scan and PET scan). Op... Read More about Relevance and utility of the in-vivo and ex-vivo optical properties of the skin reported in the literature: a review [Invited].

Living cells as a biological analog of optical tweezers – a non-invasive microrheology approach (2023)
Journal Article
Hardiman, W., Clark, M., Friel, C., Huett, A., Pérez-Cota, F., Setchfield, K., …Tassieri, M. (2023). Living cells as a biological analog of optical tweezers – a non-invasive microrheology approach. Acta Biomaterialia, 166, 317-325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2023.04.039

Microrheology, the study of fluids on micron length-scales, promises to reveal insights into cellular biology, including mechanical biomarkers of disease and the interplay between biomechanics and cellular function. Here a minimally-invasive passive... Read More about Living cells as a biological analog of optical tweezers – a non-invasive microrheology approach.

OptoRheo: Simultaneous in situ micro-mechanical sensing and 3D imaging of live cell cultures (2023)
Preprint / Working Paper
Mendonca, T., Lis-Slimak, K., Matheson, A. B., Smith, M. G., Anane-Adjei, A. B., Cavanagh, R., …Wright, A. J. OptoRheo: Simultaneous in situ micro-mechanical sensing and 3D imaging of live cell cultures

Biomechanical cues from the extracellular matrix (ECM) are essential for directing many cellular processes, from normal development and repair, to disease progression. To better understand cell-matrix interactions, we have developed a new instrument... Read More about OptoRheo: Simultaneous in situ micro-mechanical sensing and 3D imaging of live cell cultures.

C-terminal citrullinated peptide alters antigen-specific APC:T cell interactions leading to breach of immune tolerance (2023)
Journal Article
Malcolm, J., Nyirenda, M. H., Brown, J. L., Adrados-Planell, A., Campbell, L., Butcher, J. P., …Culshaw, S. (2023). C-terminal citrullinated peptide alters antigen-specific APC:T cell interactions leading to breach of immune tolerance. Journal of Autoimmunity, 135, Article 102994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2023.102994

In rheumatoid arthritis, the emergence of anti-citrullinated autoimmunity is associated with HLA-antigen-T cell receptor complexes. The precise mechanisms underpinning this breach of tolerance are not well understood. Porphyromonas gingivalis express... Read More about C-terminal citrullinated peptide alters antigen-specific APC:T cell interactions leading to breach of immune tolerance.

Non-iterative aberration retrieval based on the spot shape around focus (2022)
Journal Article
Smid, P., See, C. W., Somekh, M. G., & Wright, A. J. (2022). Non-iterative aberration retrieval based on the spot shape around focus. Optics and Lasers in Engineering, 157, Article 107108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optlaseng.2022.107108

A non-iterative, robust, aberration retrieval method to determine primary aberrations by utilizing the intensity distribution at and around focus is presented. The primary Zernike aberrations (coma, spherical aberration and astigmatism) are retrieved... Read More about Non-iterative aberration retrieval based on the spot shape around focus.

Ultra-compact and ultra-broadband hybrid plasmonic-photonic vertical coupler with high coupling efficiency, directivity, and polarisation extinction ratio (2022)
Journal Article
Pezeshki, H., Wright, A. J., & Larkins, E. C. (2022). Ultra-compact and ultra-broadband hybrid plasmonic-photonic vertical coupler with high coupling efficiency, directivity, and polarisation extinction ratio. IET Optoelectronics, 16(3), 124-132. https://doi.org/10.1049/ote2.12063

An ultra-compact, ultra-broadband vertical coupler for dense photonic integrated circuits is reported with a 1.07×0.62μm2 wavelength-scale footprint. This hybrid plasmonic-photonic coupler uses a unique two-plane plasmonic nanoantenna array on a sili... Read More about Ultra-compact and ultra-broadband hybrid plasmonic-photonic vertical coupler with high coupling efficiency, directivity, and polarisation extinction ratio.

Microrheology With an Anisotropic Optical Trap (2021)
Journal Article
Gibson, G. M., Dalgarno, P. A., Wright, A., Paterson, L., Mendonca, T., Matheson, A. B., & Tassier, M. (2021). Microrheology With an Anisotropic Optical Trap. Frontiers in Physics, 9, Article 621512. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2021.621512

Microrheology with optical tweezers (MOT) measurements are usually performed using optical traps that are close to isotropic across the plane being imaged, but little is known about what happens when this is not the case. In this work, we investigate... Read More about Microrheology With an Anisotropic Optical Trap.

Optical Tweezers with Integrated Multiplane Microscopy (OpTIMuM): a new tool for 3D microrheology (2021)
Journal Article
Matheson, A. B., Paterson, L., Wright, A. J., Mendonca, T., Tassieri, M., & Dalgarno, P. A. (2021). Optical Tweezers with Integrated Multiplane Microscopy (OpTIMuM): a new tool for 3D microrheology. Scientific Reports, 11, Article 5614. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85013-y

We introduce a novel 3D microrheology system that combines for the first time Optical Tweezers with Integrated Multiplane Microscopy (OpTIMuM). The system allows the 3D tracking of an optically trapped bead, with ~ 20 nm accuracy along the optical ax... Read More about Optical Tweezers with Integrated Multiplane Microscopy (OpTIMuM): a new tool for 3D microrheology.

Microrheology reveals microscale viscosity gradients in planktonic systems (2020)
Journal Article
Guadayol, O., Mendonca, T., Segura-Noguera, M., Wright, A. J., Tassieri, M., & Humphries, S. (2021). Microrheology reveals microscale viscosity gradients in planktonic systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(1), Article e2011389118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2011389118

Microbial activity in planktonic systems creates a dynamic and heterogeneous microscale seascape that harbors a diverse community of microorganisms and ecological interactions of global significance. In recent decades great effort has been put into u... Read More about Microrheology reveals microscale viscosity gradients in planktonic systems.

Picosecond ultrasonics for elasticity-based imaging and characterization of biological cells (2020)
Journal Article
Pérez-Cota, F., Fuentes-Domínguez, R., La Cavera III, S., Hardiman, W., Yao, M., Setchfield, K., …Clark, M. (2020). Picosecond ultrasonics for elasticity-based imaging and characterization of biological cells. Journal of Applied Physics, 128(16), Article 160902. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0023744

© 2020 Author(s). Characterization of the elasticity of biological cells is growing as a new way to gain insight into cell biology. Cell mechanics are related to most aspects of cellular behavior, and applications in research and medicine are broad.... Read More about Picosecond ultrasonics for elasticity-based imaging and characterization of biological cells.

Microrheology reveals microscale viscosity gradients in planktonic systems (2020)
Preprint / Working Paper
Guadayol, Ò., Mendonca, T., Segura-Noguera, M., Wright, A. J., Tassieri, M., & Humphries, S. Microrheology reveals microscale viscosity gradients in planktonic systems

Microbial activity in planktonic systems creates a dynamic and heterogeneous microscale seascape that harbours a diverse community of microorganisms and ecological interactions of global significance. In recent decades a great effort has been put int... Read More about Microrheology reveals microscale viscosity gradients in planktonic systems.

Peptide gels of fully-defined composition and mechanics for probing cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in vitro (2019)
Journal Article
Ashworth, J. C., Thompson, J. L., James, J. R., Slater, C. E., Pijuan-Galitó, S., Lis-Slimak, K., …Merry, C. L. (2020). Peptide gels of fully-defined composition and mechanics for probing cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in vitro. Matrix Biology, 85-86, 15-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matbio.2019.06.009

© 2019 Current materials used for in vitro 3D cell culture are often limited by their poor similarity to human tissue, batch-to-batch variability and complexity of composition and manufacture. Here, we present a “blank slate” culture environment base... Read More about Peptide gels of fully-defined composition and mechanics for probing cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in vitro.

Hybrid photonic-plasmonic platform for high-throughput single-molecule studies (2019)
Journal Article
Mossayebi, M., Parini, A., Wright, A. J., Somekh, M. G., Bellanca, G., & Larkins, E. C. (2019). Hybrid photonic-plasmonic platform for high-throughput single-molecule studies. Optical Materials Express, 9(6), 2511-2522. https://doi.org/10.1364/OME.9.002511

We present the design and numerical characterization of a hybrid photonic-plasmonic nanoresonator comprised of a 2D photonic crystal (PhC) cavity, a gold bowtie nanoantenna (BNA) and a silicon dioxide, SiO2, spacer. This device is designed to serve a... Read More about Hybrid photonic-plasmonic platform for high-throughput single-molecule studies.

A minimally invasive optical trapping system to understand cellular interactions at onset of an immune response (2017)
Journal Article
Glass, D. G., McAlinden, N., Millington, O. R., & Wright, A. J. (2017). A minimally invasive optical trapping system to understand cellular interactions at onset of an immune response. PLoS ONE, 12(12), Article e0188581. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188581

T-cells and antigen presenting cells are an essential part of the adaptive immune response system and how they interact is crucial in how the body effectively fights infection or responds to vaccines. Much of the experimental work studying interactio... Read More about A minimally invasive optical trapping system to understand cellular interactions at onset of an immune response.

Engineering of hybrid photonic-plasmonic devices for enhanced light-matter interactions (2017)
Book Chapter
Mossayebi, M., Bellanca, G., Parini, A., Wright, A. J., & Larkins, E. C. (2017). Engineering of hybrid photonic-plasmonic devices for enhanced light-matter interactions. In A. Agrawal, T. Benson, R. De La Rue, & G. Wurtz (Eds.), Recent Trends in Computational Photonics (369-390). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55438-9_13

In this chapter, we focus on the design and characteristics of a hybrid photonic-plasmonic nanoresonator using 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations. This structure is capable of localization of high intensity light in a subwavelength hotspot,... Read More about Engineering of hybrid photonic-plasmonic devices for enhanced light-matter interactions.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering measurement from a lipid bilayer encapsulating a single decahedral nanoparticle mediated by an optical trap (2016)
Journal Article
Wright, A. J., Richens, J. L., Bramble, J., Cathcart, N., Kitaev, V., O'Shea, P., & Hudson, A. (in press). Surface-enhanced Raman scattering measurement from a lipid bilayer encapsulating a single decahedral nanoparticle mediated by an optical trap. Nanoscale, 8(36), https://doi.org/10.1039/C6NR05616D

We present a new technique for the study of model membranes on the length-scale of a single nanosized liposome. Silver decahedral nanoparticles have been encapsulated by a model unilamellar lipid bilayer creating nano-sized lipid vesicles. The metal... Read More about Surface-enhanced Raman scattering measurement from a lipid bilayer encapsulating a single decahedral nanoparticle mediated by an optical trap.

Investigating the use of a hybrid plasmonic-photonic nanoresonator for optical trapping using finite-difference time-domain method (2016)
Journal Article

We investigate the use of a hybrid nanoresonator comprising a photonic crystal (PhC) cavity coupled to a plasmonic bowtie nanoantenna (BNA) for the optical trapping of nanoparticles in water. Using finite-difference time-domain simulations, we show t... Read More about Investigating the use of a hybrid plasmonic-photonic nanoresonator for optical trapping using finite-difference time-domain method.