Regensburg 2016 – scientific programme

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MI: Fachverband Mikrosonden

MI 5: Scanning Probe Microscopy

MI 5.3: Talk

Wednesday, March 9, 2016, 16:30–16:45, H5

Fast-scanning and quantitative-imaging atomic force microscopy (AFM) combined with advanced optical techniques — •Elmar Hartmann, Dimitar R. Stamov, and Torsten Jähnke — JPK Instruments AG, Berlin, Germany

AFM is well known as a multi-purpose and meanwhile indispensable tool for high-resolution studies under natural conditions. Recent tip-scanning AFM developments deliver now insight into the dynamics of macromolecular systems, while simultaneously offering a seamless integration capability with advanced optical techniques.

Collagen type I attracted a lot of attention, due to its large interactome, hierarchical structural and mechanical stability. This study is devoted to non-invasively monitor the kinetics of collagen fibrillogenesis by modifying environmental conditions. We show that fast AFM imaging can successfully be applied to understand the real-time kinetics of collagen I and the fibrillar nanomatrix formation with high spatial and temporal resolution [1].

The newly gained capability of higher imaging velocity has also been used to directly study living fibroblast cells. Here, the dynamics of individual membrane structures of a single cell is investigated with AFM, while simultaneously observing the same cell in the optical phase contrast image and DirectOverlay™ technique. Super-resolution (dSTORM and STED) have been combined with AFM when operated in the Quantitative Imaging (QI™) mode that is based on fast force-distance curves to demonstrate close relationship of cellular structures and nano-mechanical properties.

[1] Stamov et al., Ultramicroscopy, 149, 86 (2015).