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BED851: Major Project Part 1

Torque calibration of four pole magnetic tweezer

Submitted by
Akash Singhal
2010BB50005

Under the supervision of
Dr. Ravi K. Elangovan

Department of Biochemical engineering and Biotechnology
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi


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Index


I. Introduction 3
II. Important terms 5
III. Work Done 6
IV. Objective 7
V. References 7











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Introduction
Magnetic tweezers (MTs) are a single-molecule technique that allow us to manipulate and rotate
small bodies or single micromolecules. Magnetic tweezers usually use electromagnets and tip-
shaped poles to generate a magnetic field gradient and exert magnetic force on microscopic
magnetic particles. They can be divided into distinct categories according to the number of
magnetic poles employed. The single-pole magnetic tweezers [1][2] are straightforward to
implement, but can only generate attractive forces toward the pole tip. In order to improve the
degrees of freedom of magnetic force application, multipolar magnetic tweezers were developed.
In a four pole magnetic tweezer four magnetic poles are placed in a quadrupole configuration for
2-D magnetic force application. Each magnetic pole has one actuating coil. All the coils and
magnetic poles are connected by a magnetic yoke to complete the magnetic circuit and increase
the efficiency of magnetic field generation. The four pole tips enclose the workspace. The whole
set up is then assembled on an inverted microscope which is used for the feedback control.


When electric current is passed through the coils, the electromagnets mounted on the yoke get
magnetized and lead to a generation of a magnetic field which permeates through the magnetic
poles to the workspace where we have the magnetic probe. The probe in the presence of the field
lines gets magnetized too and the field generated due to this magnetization of the magnetic probe
interacts with the magnetic field leading to a net force or a torque on the probe.
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The single micromolecules are tethered to a surface at one end and to the magnetic bead at the
other end. The following figure depicts the same.

Applications of magnetic tweezers-
1. MTW has been used to generate force and torque to measure the mechanical properties of
biological samples, from individual molecules to inter-molecular bonds to whole cells.
2. MTW can also be used to manipulate a biomolecule to discover its function. The function
of a biomolecule may be altered with externally applied force or torque through changing
its conformation or folding state and/or exposing its cryptic sites that are hidden in the
native state.
3. A major advantage of MTW over other biophysical methods is that its interference with
the specimen is minimal.






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Literature Review(Important Terms)

Hysteresis-
When a ferromagnetic material is magnetized in one direction, it will not relax back to zero
magnetization when the imposed magnetizing field is removed. It must be driven back to zero by
a field in the opposite direction. If an alternating magnetic field is applied to the material, its
magnetization will trace out a loop called a hysteresis loop. The lack of retraceability of the
magnetization curve is the property called hysteresis and it is related to the existence of magnetic
domains in the material. Hence using a material exhibiting hysteresis for the construction of the
electromagnet or t he magnetic bead, would require a lot more energy and would induce a lag in
the overall process.



Superparamagnetism-
Superparamagnetism is a form of magnetism, which appears in
small ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic nanoparticles. In sufficiently small nanoparticles,
magnetization can randomly flip direction under the influence of temperature. An external
magnetic field is able to magnetize the nanoparticles, similarly to a paramagnet. However,
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their magnetic susceptibility is much larger than the paramagnets. Superparamagnetic materials
find more application than ferromagnetic materials as they dont exhibit hysteresis.
Magnetic bead trapping
By applying magnetic fields the magnetic bead/particle can be trapped at a position in the
workspace of a magnetic tweezer. This process is called magnetic bead trapping.
Lumped reluctance
Lumped reluctance is the resistance offered by a material to the magnetic field lines passing
through it. It is directly proportional to the length of the medium that needs to be covered by the
magnetic field lines and inversely proportional to the magnetic permeability and the effective
cross sectional area of the medium. Lumped reluctance is a theoretical parameter since the cross
sectional area of the medium can not always be defined precisely.

Work Done
The research up till now has been focused on adapting an inverse force model for the four pole
magnetic tweezer, giving the values of the required input currents in the four coils for a given
position of the bead and the required force in 2 dimensions, and looking for its applicability in
trapping of the magnetic particle at the centre of the workspace.
The inverse model has been worked out mathematically by using mathematica software and we
have mathematical expressions for the currents in the four coils in terms of the force being
exerted on the bead and its position in the 2D plane, in terms of the reluctance of the system, the
properties and dimensions of the bead and the poles. This was possible with the help of a couple
of published research papers on the development of an inverse force model for a 4 pole magnetic
tweezer.[3]-[4]
Currently the research is focused on coming up with a design for the magnetic tweezer, such that
it can be used to trap the magnetic particle at the centre also testing the inverse force model that
has already been estimated approximately . The following materials and dimensions have been
chosen for the same-
1. Magnetic poles
Material- nickel-iron-molybdenum alloy(offers high susceptibility and low
hysteresis)
Foil thickness-100 micro metres
Radius of curvature of the tip-30 micrometres
2. Yoke
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Material-cold rolled steel (offers low hysteresis)
Radius- Chosen arbitrarily
3. Distance from the centre of the workspace to the pole tip- 400 micrometres(Roughly
more than 10 times the radius of curvature of the tip.)


Objective

This project work has been undertaken to achieve the following objectives:
1. Short term goals-
Interpretation of the estimated inverse force model for the required design of the
magnetic tweezer.
Development of the force feedback circuit.(a circuit that would control the values
of the current in the four coils according to the position of the bead, acquired by
the inverted microscope and the required force)
Implementation of the design of the magnetic tweezer for trapping the magnetic
particle at the centre of the workspace.
2. Long term goal-
Torque calibration of the 4 pole magnetic tweezer.
Measurement of the dynamics of the bacterial flagellar motor.


References

1. Philip Kollmannsberger and Ben Fabry,2007, High-force magnetic tweezers with force
feedback for biological applications, REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 78,
114301
2. Jan Lipfert, Xiaomin Hao, and Nynke H. Dekker,2009, Quantitative Modeling and
Optimization of Magnetic Tweezers, Volume 96.
3. Zhipeng Zhang, Chia-Hsiang Menq, 2010, Design, Implementation, and Force Modeling
of Quadrupole Magnetic Tweezers, IEEE/ASME TRANSACTIONS ON
MECHATRONICS, VOL. 15, NO. 5
4. Zhipeng Zhang, Chia-Hsiang Menq, 2010, Actively controlled manipulation of a
magnetic microbead using quadrupole magnetic tweezers, IEEE/ASME
TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS, VOL. 26, NO. 3
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5. Zhipeng Zhang,2009, MAGNETIC TWEEZERS: ACTUATION, MEASUREMENT, AND
CONTROL AT NANOMETER SCALE, Ohio state university
6. Jason G. Pickel,2007, ADAPTIVE CONTROL FOR THE POSITION OF MAGNETIC
PARTICLES USING MAGNETIC TRAPS, University of pittsburgh