Atomic force microscopy: a versatile tool in biology and biophysics

Monday, October 24, 2011 — Poster Session I
Noon – 2:00 p.m.	Natcher Conference Center	NIBIB	BIOPHY-2

Author

• EK Dimitriadis

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a relatively young, non-optical microscopy that employs a sharp probe to describe topographical features at sub-nm resolution and measure forces down to a few pN. AFM can also be combined with other techniques, such as fluorescence, for simultaneous observations and single molecule identification. Furthermore, force spectroscopy can be used to characterize material properties at the nanoscale and to examine antigen-antibody binding events. We present a few typical applications of the technology including high resolution imaging of protein-DNA complexes, simultaneous AFM-TIRF, lipid bilayer characterization, and molecular identification by force spectroscopy. The AFM facility is open to a wide range of collaborative projects.

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