Nanoscale optomechanical actuators for controlling mechanotransduction in living cells

Optomechanical actuator nanoparticles collapse upon illumination with near-infrared light. Appropriately coated, they can be used to mechanically trigger cellular processes such as focal adhesion formation or T cell activation. To control receptor tension optically at the cell surface, we developed an approach involving optomechanical actuator nanoparticles that are controlled with near-infrared light. Illumination leads to particle collapse, delivering piconewton forces to specific cell surface receptors with high spatial and temporal resolution. We demonstrate optomechanical actuation by controlling integrin-based focal adhesion formation, cell protrusion and migration, and T cell receptor activation.