SmartTrap: Automated Precision Experiments with Optical Tweezers on ArXiv

Illustration of three different experiments autonomously performed by the SmartTrap system: DNA pulling experiments (top), red blood cell stretching (bottom left), and particle-particle interaction measurements (bottom right). (Image by M. Selin.)
SmartTrap: Automated Precision Experiments with Optical Tweezers
Martin Selin, Antonio Ciarlo, Giuseppe Pesce, Lars Bengtsson, Joan Camunas-Soler, Vinoth Sundar Rajan, Fredrik Westerlund, L. Marcus Wilhelmsson, Isabel Pastor, Felix Ritort, Steven B. Smith, Carlos Bustamante, Giovanni Volpe
arXiv: 2505.05290

There is a trend in research towards more automation using smart systems powered by artificial intelligence. While experiments are often challenging to automate, they can greatly benefit from automation by reducing labor and  increasing reproducibility. For example, optical tweezers are widely employed in single-molecule biophysics, cell biomechanics, and soft matter physics, but they still require a human operator, resulting in low throughput and limited repeatability. Here, we present a smart optical tweezers platform, which we name SmartTrap, capable of performing complex experiments completely autonomously. SmartTrap integrates real-time 3D particle tracking using
deep learning, custom electronics for precise feedback control, and a microfluidic setup for particle handling. We demonstrate the ability of SmartTrap to operate continuously, acquiring high-precision data over extended periods of time, through a series of experiments. By bridging the gap between manual  experimentation and autonomous operation, SmartTrap establishes a robust and open source framework for the next generation of optical tweezers research, capable of performing large-scale studies in single-molecule biophysics, cell mechanics, and colloidal science with reduced experimental
overhead and operator bias.

Series of lectures by C. Bustamante, Waernska Professorship lectures, 29 April – 7 May 2025

Carlos Bustamante. (Photo by H. P. Thanabalan.)
Fundamentals and Applications of Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy – Waernska Professorship lectures
Professor Carlos Bustamante, who is visiting the Soft Matter Lab between 28 April and 27 May and is a winner of the Waernska Professorship, will be giving a series of lectures on Fundamentals and Applications of Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy.

Professor Carlos Bustamante from UC Berkeley is a pioneer in the use of optical tweezers for the biomechanical study of single molecules. He will explain the basics of how and why you can perform single-molecule experiments with them.

Here is the schedule and location of the lectures:
– 29 April 2025 from 13:00 to 17:00 in Gustaf Dalén-salen;
– 05 May 2025 from 13:00 to 17:00 in FL71;
– 06 May 2025 from 13:00 to 17:00 in Lecture Hall FL71;
– 07 May 2025 from 13:00 to 17:00 in Lecture Hall KB.

Professor Carlos Bustamante, winner of the Waernska Professorship, visits the Soft Matter Lab

Carlos Bustamante. (Photo by H. P. Thanabalan.)
We are delighted to welcome Professor Carlos Bustamante to the Soft Matter Lab as the winner of the prestigious Waernska Professorship.

Professor Bustamante is a world-renowned expert in single-molecule biophysics and a Full Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology, Chemistry and Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.

His pioneering work has significantly advanced our understanding of the physical behaviour of biological molecules. Using techniques such as optical tweezers, atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, Professor Bustamante has provided key insights into molecular motors, protein and RNA folding, and the mechanisms of gene expression and regulation.

We are honoured to host Professor Bustamante at the Soft Matter Lab and look forward to exciting scientific exchanges and collaborations during his visit.

His visit is currently planned between 28 April and 27 May 2025.
An additional visit, yet to be confirmed, might take place during the fall of 2025.