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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 32: Posters: Physics of Cells

BP 32.39: Poster

Donnerstag, 25. März 2010, 17:15–20:00, Poster B1

Bacterial probes with defined contact area for force spectroscopy — •Sebastian Hümbert, Peter Loskill, and Karin Jacobs — Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany

Bacterial adhesion is a key factor in disease pathogenesis. Thus it is essential to understand the interaction of microorganisms with biological and artificial surfaces. A promising tool is to perform force-spectroscopy using an atomic force microscope (AFM) with the bacteria themselves as AFM probes. The aim of the studies presented is to create functionalized bacterial probes with a defined contact area to perform reliable force/distance measurements on various surfaces. Fundamental parameters are the tip geometry and the way the bacteria are 'glued' to the AFM tip. The adhesion protein must not alter the bacterial membrane, yet still has to be strong enough to hold the bacteria firmly onto the tip during the force/distance measurements. We show results for binding bacteria to the cantilever via charge effects, via covalent binding and via specific binding using different cantilever coatings. Our primary aim is to study the influence of the tip geometry and we present the outcome of experiments with single bacteria as probes and with bacteria-coated colloidal probes.