{"id":171559,"date":"2025-11-14T16:19:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T22:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?post_type=sciencecommunication&p=171559"},"modified":"2025-11-18T16:21:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T22:21:20","slug":"optical-tweezers","status":"publish","type":"sciencecommunication","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/","title":{"rendered":"Light Tweezers That Move Microparticles Without Contact"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Victor H. P\u00e9rez Gonz\u00e1lez<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the not-so-distant future, doctors may be able to guide beams of light to isolate a single cancer cell from a drop of blood \u2014 no scalpels, no tubes; just light. And engineers could assemble microscopic machines the size of a speck of dust, not with tweezers or tools, but with projected light patterns that glide across a chip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t science fiction. It\u2019s a glimpse into what\u2019s emerging from the labs of researchers studying the \u201cinvisible\u201d forces that shape the smallest scales of our world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Optical Tweezers for Moving the Invisible<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of this emerging story lies an elegant idea: using light to move matter. This technology, known as optoelectronic tweezers (OET), enables scientists to manipulate microscopic particles\u2014such as cells, droplets, even fragments of DNA\u2014not through physical contact, but through carefully shaped fields of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where light shines, tiny forces awaken, nudging particles in one direction or another. No physical hands required. The choreography unfolds in silence, unseen, yet with enormous potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as with any delicate choreography, precision is everything. Light can\u2019t simply shine\u2014it has to paint. Scientists project patterns of light onto photoconductive surfaces that respond like a canvas, though one with hidden wiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These \u201cvirtual electrodes\u201d appear wherever the light hits, creating localized electric fields that steer microscopic particles. But to predict how those particles will move, researchers must understand exactly how the light behaves once it arrives: how it fades, intensifies, and diffuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Math That Explains Light<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For years, researchers have relied on simplified assumptions about how light behaves\u2014treating it as a perfect rectangle or an ideal bell curve. But nature, as always, is subtler than our first models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a recent study, our team at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey and Clemson University set out to challenge those assumptions. We wanted to know which light model actually matches reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we found was a model known as the saturated Gaussian. It has a flat plateau in the center that gently tapers off at the edges\u2014much like the way dawn light fills a room: not abrupt, not perfectly symmetrical, but soft and continuous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We demonstrated that this model closely reflects how projected light truly behaves in optoelectronic systems\u2014systems that turn light into electrical energy or vice versa\u2014especially when using the digital projectors common in modern devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a mathematical breakthrough and a step toward mastering the invisible. With more accurate light models, we can better control the electric fields that move cells and particles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applications of This Technology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Understanding and mathematically modeling how light behaves to manipulate microscopic matter\u2014like cells or particles\u2014more precisely is a major step toward more efficient medical diagnostics, allowing diseased cells to be isolated without harming healthy ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This insight also opens the door to smarter devices, such as \u201clabs on a chip,\u201d which can run fluid tests and deliver rapid diagnostics right in the palm of your hand. It paves the way for microscopic assembly lines, building structures too small for conventional tools but essential to the future of electronics, biology, and medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The work further highlights a key difference between light-driven \u201cvirtual electrodes\u201d and traditional metal electrodes etched on chips. While metal defines rigid boundaries, virtual electrodes offer smoother, more flexible control, extending electric fields gently and broadly\u2014and in some cases, more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grasping these distinctions could reshape how we design the tools of tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a single question about the shape of light, a much larger vision unfolds. By refining how we model a projected light beam, we edge closer to a future where biology, physics, and technology converge\u2014and where light is not just something we see, but a tool to sculpt and shape the very fabric of the microscopic world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reference<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Guzman\u2010Saleh, E., Perez\u2010Gonzalez, V. H., & Martinez\u2010Duarte, R. (2025). Comparing Different Light Models for Virtual Electrodes in Optoelectronic Tweezers<\/a><\/em>. Electrophoresis<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/es\/divulgacion-ciencia\/microfluidica-para-detectar-microparticulas\/<\/a>V\u00edctor Hugo P\u00e9rez Gonz\u00e1lez<\/a>. PhD in Information and Communication Technologies from Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey. He is currently a research professor in the Strategic Research Group on Nanosensors and Devices, where he leads the Interface Science research group. He is a member of the National System of Researchers and a science communicator at TecScience<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researchers are exploring advanced methods to use light to move microscopic particles and enhance medical diagnostics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":171563,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[400,135,24],"class_list":["post-171559","sciencecommunication","type-sciencecommunication","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech","tag-nanotechnology","tag-school-of-engineering-and-sciences","tag-technology"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLight Tweezers to Move the Invisible | TecScience<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Researchers are exploring advanced methods to use light to move microscopic particles and enhance medical diagnostics.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Light Tweezers That Move Microparticles Without Contact\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Researchers are exploring advanced methods to use light to move microscopic particles and enhance medical diagnostics.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TecScience\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-18T22:21:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/11\/optical-tweezers.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/science-communication\\\/optical-tweezers\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/science-communication\\\/optical-tweezers\\\/\",\"name\":\"Light Tweezers to Move the Invisible | TecScience\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/science-communication\\\/optical-tweezers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/science-communication\\\/optical-tweezers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/9\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/optical-tweezers.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-14T22:19:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-18T22:21:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"Researchers are exploring advanced methods to use light to move microscopic particles and enhance medical diagnostics.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/science-communication\\\/optical-tweezers\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/science-communication\\\/optical-tweezers\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/science-communication\\\/optical-tweezers\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/9\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/optical-tweezers.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/9\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/optical-tweezers.jpg\",\"width\":750,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"A study by Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey and Clemson University compared several light models and found that the \u2018saturated Gaussian\u2019 model allows more precise control of the electric fields that move cells and particles. (Photo: Getty Images)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/science-communication\\\/optical-tweezers\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Science Communication\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/science-communication\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Light Tweezers That Move Microparticles Without Contact\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"TecScience\",\"description\":\"-\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"TecScience\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/9\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/logo-negro-tecscience.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/9\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/logo-negro-tecscience.svg\",\"width\":250,\"height\":38,\"caption\":\"TecScience\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/tecscience.tec.mx\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Light Tweezers to Move the Invisible | TecScience","description":"Researchers are exploring advanced methods to use light to move microscopic particles and enhance medical diagnostics.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Light Tweezers That Move Microparticles Without Contact","og_description":"Researchers are exploring advanced methods to use light to move microscopic particles and enhance medical diagnostics.","og_url":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/","og_site_name":"TecScience","article_modified_time":"2025-11-18T22:21:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":750,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/11\/optical-tweezers.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/","url":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/","name":"Light Tweezers to Move the Invisible | TecScience","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/11\/optical-tweezers.jpg","datePublished":"2025-11-14T22:19:14+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-18T22:21:20+00:00","description":"Researchers are exploring advanced methods to use light to move microscopic particles and enhance medical diagnostics.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/11\/optical-tweezers.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/11\/optical-tweezers.jpg","width":750,"height":500,"caption":"A study by Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey and Clemson University compared several light models and found that the \u2018saturated Gaussian\u2019 model allows more precise control of the electric fields that move cells and particles. (Photo: Getty Images)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/optical-tweezers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Science Communication","item":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Light Tweezers That Move Microparticles Without Contact"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/","name":"TecScience","description":"-","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/#organization","name":"TecScience","url":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/11\/logo-negro-tecscience.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/11\/logo-negro-tecscience.svg","width":250,"height":38,"caption":"TecScience"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sciencecommunication\/171559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sciencecommunication"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sciencecommunication"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sciencecommunication\/171559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}