Dr David M Carberry

 

Research Overview

My research interests primarily lie in the development and application of optical micromanipulation techniques, in particular optical tweezers, to the materials and life sciences. In particular, I am interested in the concepts of optically actuated tools and lab-on-a-chip devices. We have assembled tools from individual components, grown them from biotemplates, evaluated the effects of their motion, described how to calibrate them for use as force sensors, and used them in a new type of scanning probe microscopy.  Results comparable to confocal microscopy have been achieved.

Utilising microfluidics and microsphere automation we have constructed photonic bandgap crystal templates in configurations which cannot be made using alternate techniques. Further developments in this field are ongoing. We are investigating the effectiveness of measuring elastic moduli from cells and vesicles within these devices, and analysing the nearby microrheology. To complete the circle, we are investigating techniques for selectively modifying the surface of the tools so that they can act as sensors and force transducers within these lab-on-a-chip applications.

Most Recent Paper

D. B. Phillips, S. H. Simpson, J. A. Grieve, G. M. Gibson, R. Bowman, M. J. Padgett, M. J. Miles, and D. M. Carberry, "Position clamping of optically trapped microscopic non-spherical probes," Optics Express 19, 20622-20627 (2011). DOI: 10.1364/OE.19.020622

 

The primary point of the paper can be summarised in the above figure, that without position clamping the rotations and translations of the probe's tip are substantially larger than that when specific modes are position clamped. Depending on which mode is clamped, improvements of up to 18x can be achieved.