Lumicks
Core business
LUMICKS is a spin-off company from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, bringing to market the revolutionary C-Trap Correlative Tweezers (CTFM) and Acoustic Force Spectroscope (AFS). The instruments enable live visualization of DNA-protein interactions at single molecule level in real time. LUMICKS provides ready-to use single-molecule instrumentation, give understandings to the complex biological processes at single molecule level, which is key for prevention and cure of Cancer and other diseases.
The C-Trap combines optical tweezers, confocal microscopy or STED nanoscopy and an advanced microfluidics system in a truly integrated and correlated way. The C-Trap is capable of live, simultaneous and correlative visualization and manipulation of molecular interactions with sub-picoNewton force resolution and sub-nm localization. Image: © LUMICKS
Research related to the project
LUMICKS incorporate the technical developments of CHROMAVISION in their new generation C-Trap that can be widely implemented. By doing so, LUMICKS provides a unique single molecule instrument that enables researchers to study complex multi-step biological processes on the molecular level with unprecedented clarity. The new generation C-Trap will be capable of simultaneously visualizing and manipulating single molecules – up to full chromosomes – with sub pN force resolution and single photon sensitivity.
This is enabled by the CTFM’s four continuous optical traps with a wide ~100 um Field of Operation and large range in trap stifness, along with fast 3D STED scanning. LUMICKS is involved and/or leads the R&D projects that are related to progressing the CTFM- technology, such as: wider Field of View for STED and fluorescence, wider Field of Operation for the four continuous optical traps and 3D STED. In addition LUMICKS develops a solution to integrate the necessary microfluidics into the CTFM platform and the necessary software.
Artist impression of four optical traps holding chromosomes in metaphase
image: © LUMICKS