Microrheology of solutions of semiflexible biopolymer filaments using laser tweezers interferometry

A microrheology technique was developed to measure the viscoelastic properties of solutions of submicroiliter volumes. A microrheology technique which employs laser beam to trap a micron-sized silica bead was discussed. The shear moduli of solutions of fd viruses, which are filamentous, semiflexible and monodisperse bacteriophages were measured using a particle tracking microrheology technique. The results show that in dilute solutions shear modulus is dominated by rotational relaxation.