Atomic force microscopy biomolecular forces

Stolz, M., Stoffler, D., Aebi, U., and Goldsbury, C. (2000). Monitoring biomolecular interactions by time-lapse atomic force microscopy. / Struct. Biol. 131, 171-180. Sunde, M., Serpell, L. C., Bartlam, M., Fraser, P. E., Pepys, M. B., and Blake, C. C. (1997). Common core structure of amyloid fibrils by synchrotron X-ray diffraction. / Mol. Biol. 273, 729-739. 

Among the many microscopy-based techniques for the study of biomolecular interactions on surfaces, scanning probe microscopies, and especially the atomic force microscopies (AFM), are the most used because of their molecular and sub-molecular level resolution and in situ imaging capability. Apart from the high resolution mapping of siuface nanotopographies, AFM can be used for the quantification and visualisation of the distribution of chemistry, hydrophobicity and local mechanical properties on surfaces, and for the fabrication of nanostructmes on surfaces. 

Abdelhady HG, Allen S, Ebbens SJ, Madden C, Patel N, Roberts CJ, Zhang JX (2005) Towards nanoscale metrology for biomolecular imaging by atomic force microscopy. Nanotechnology 16 966-973... 

Mazzola, L.T. (1999). Probing biomolecular recognition using atomic force microscopy. PhD Thesis, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, pp. 115. 

Yang Y, Wang H, Eirie DA. Quantitative characterization of biomolecular assemblies and interactions using atomic force microscopy. Methods 2354 29 175-187. 

Studying the interaction forces between molecules and interfaces by means of atomic force microscopy and fluorescence-based technologies on the nanometer scale will provide valuable information on interfaces. Investigating surface functionalization processes with organic and biomolecular moieties, as well as self-assembly at surfaces, will enable insights into the basic properties of the interfaces. 

Atomic Force Microscopy Opportunities and Challenges for Probing Biomolecular Interactions... 

Willemsen OH, Snel MME, Cambi A, Greve J, Grooth BGD, Figdor CG (2000) Biomolecular interactions measured by atomic force microscopy. Biophys 179 3267-3281... 

This article presents recent progress in high-speed atomic force microscopy for dynamic imaging of biomolecular processes, including the theoretical basis for the highest possible imaging rate, instrumentation, hydrodynamic effects on cantilever oscillation, and various visualization studies on the dynamic molecular process and structure of proteins. 

T. Ando, T. Uchihashi, and T. Fukuma, High-speed atomic force microscopy for nano-visualization of dynamic biomolecular processes. Prog. Surf. Sci., 83, 337 (2008). 

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