Upconverting materials for boosting the development of advanced optical microrheometric techniques

Abstract The confluence of technological advances in optics and the need of a deeper understanding of cellular processes have boosted the development of diverse optical microrheometric techniques. These experimental methods have allowed a better understanding of not only the viscoelastic behaviour of cells, but also different intracellular processes. In this work, the fundamentals of the most commonly used optical microrheometric techniques and their more relevant applications in the biological field are expounded for a non-specialist public. In particular, the promising and emerging use of upconverting luminescent particles as probes in this field is highlighted, as they could be the cornerstone of the development of new methods or the improvement of already existing microrheometric techniques.