Brillouin microscopy for live-imaging of mechanical properties in biology

Mechanical properties of cells and tissues have been shown to play a crucial role in development and disease, but standard techniques for probing them are usually invasive and limited to the sample's surface. In contrast, Brillouin microscopy is an emerging optical technique that enables non-contact measurement of viscoelastic properties of a material with diffraction-limited resolution in 3D. In my talk, I will describe our ongoing technology developments in this emerging field and present our current efforts to study the role of mechanical properties in developing organisms such as zebrafish, Drosophila and Platynereis embryos.