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Calcium release by AFM excitation

Fluorescence movie of a living micropatterned cardiac myocyte loaded
with Fluo-4, a fluorescent calcium indicator. The cell was mechanically
stimulated with an AFM tip on the left corner while the fluorescence was
measured with an inverted optical microscope. Calcium release, measured
by an increase in fluorescence (white), starts at the point of impact
and radiates throughout the rest of the cell as a wave.

Courtesy of Dr. N Geisse and Dr. K Parker, School of Engineering and
Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

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