The aim of this project is to develop a new device designed to measure molecular strain. The intent is to map the distribution of strains resulting from stress imposed on a filament or organelle in a physiological environment. To achieve this, we will combine two emerging technologies: nanfabricated levers and near-field optical microscopy. The levers can impose or measure stress, and are fabricated by the same technologies used to create integrated circuits. The near- field microscope is a high resolution optical microscope that can operate in a hydrated environment, and has resolution potential an order of magnitude higher than conventional optical microscopes. It will be used to measure local strains. The strains can be detected by labelling the specimen with site-specific markers or microspheres and mapping the change in their position as stress is implied or as the specimen undergoes internal change. With knowledge of the underlying structure, this novel instrument can reveal a direct relation between function and structure at a near-molecular level.
