Biophysics Comes to Highschool: Developing a Low-Cost Method for Measuring the Force of a Laser Tweezer Trap

Optical tweezers are a Nobel Prize winning technology with interdisciplinary applications including studies in the structure of DNA and molecular biology. We are developing a low-cost optical tweezing apparatus in order to study biomolecules, including the forces required to break damaged and undamaged DNA. Our long term goal is to utilize optical tweezing in order to trap large biomolecules for spectral analysis using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). This project is a part of the PLAIDX collaboration, a group focused on giving high school students and underserved undergraduate students access to original biophysics research. By successfully implementing a cost-effective and reliable Quadrant Photo-Diode (QPD) in a HeNe optical tweezing system, we establish an innovative approach for high school-level biophysics research. This hands-on experience introduces students to advanced scientific concepts and the process of scientific collaboration.