Measuring and Applying Piconewton-Scale Force to a Single Object

A force at the piconewton scale, acting on a single molecule, cell, or bead, needs to be both measured precisely and, when needed, deliberately applied without any physical contact.

References

• Bustamante, C., Marko, J.F., Siggia, E.D., Smith, S.B. "Entropic Elasticity." Science 265, no. 5178 (1994): 1599–1600.