# Optical nanosensor for 3D force sensing in intact tissues of live animals

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO · 2021 · $238,455

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Physical forces are known to impact cell functions in a fundamental way. While the study dates
back some 100 years, the scientific interests have significantly increased in the past decades.
However, despite the extensive studies, obtaining precise force information in live animals
remains an elusive task. Currently, a vast majority of, if not all, force sensing studies have only
been carried out in cultured cells. Yet, it is well-documented that one of the most prominent
differences between cell culture and intact tissues is the change of mechanical forces and cell-
cell adhesion. Therefore, precise measurements of forces inside biological tissues of live animals
are desperately needed to advance the field.
The goal of this project is to develop a novel force sensing technique that allows non-invasive
sensing of force distribution across 3D volume of biological tissue in a live animal. It promises
highly sensitive force measurements with simple fluorescence measurements that can be
conducted in a standard confocal microscope. The nanosensor is composed of metal nanodisk,
upconversion nanoparticle and flexible polymer. Upconversion nanoparticle is excited by an
infrared light and emits visible fluorescence. The infrared excitation provides many benefits
including no background fluorescence and high sensitivity. The nanosensor produces
fluorescence signal that is highly sensitive to local deformations, enabling detection of force as
small as 1 nN and local deformation down to ~1 nm.
Finally, we have established a state-of-art two-photon microscope system to perform fluorescence
imaging in live mice. We have developed a number of fluorescence tagged mouse models that
resolve epidermal and hair follicle lineages and monitor the adhesion, migration and proliferation
of epithelial cells. This system will allow us to test and fine-tune our designs in a physiologically
relevant condition.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10109869
- **Project number:** 1R21GM140347-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
- **Principal Investigator:** WOUNJHANG PARK
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $238,455
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-02-01 → 2023-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10109869

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10109869, Optical nanosensor for 3D force sensing in intact tissues of live animals (1R21GM140347-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10109869. Licensed CC0.

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