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Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Force Spectroscopy of Single Protein Molecules Using an Atomic Force Microscope

Force Spectroscopy of Single Protein Molecules Using an Atomic Force Microscope

Published on: February 28, 2019

Atomic force microscopy applications in macromolecular crystallography.

A McPherson¹, A J Malkin, Y G Kuznetsov

¹Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, USA. amcphers@uci.edu

Acta Crystallographica. Section D, Biological Crystallography

|July 27, 2001

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) enables direct visualization of crystal growth in solution, revealing previously unknown phenomena influencing macromolecular crystal perfection and diffraction quality.

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Area of Science:

Biophysics
Materials Science
Crystallography

Background:

Crystal growth from solution is crucial for obtaining high-quality crystals for diffraction studies.
Understanding crystallization mechanisms is key to controlling crystal perfection.

Purpose of the Study:

To demonstrate the utility of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for in situ and ex situ studies of crystal growth.
To visualize and quantify various aspects of crystal growth, including mechanisms, impurity incorporation, and defect formation.

Main Methods:

Utilizing Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for real-time observation of crystal growth in solution.
Performing experiments in the native mother liquor to maintain non-perturbing conditions.

Main Results:

Direct visualization of interactions between different growth mechanisms as a function of supersaturation.
Observation of impurity incorporation and defect formation/propagation during crystallization.
Quantitative measurement of kinetic parameters for nucleation and growth over extended periods.

Conclusions:

AFM provides unprecedented insights into macromolecular crystallization processes.
AFM identifies previously unrecognized factors affecting crystal nucleation, growth rates, and perfection.
These findings are critical for improving crystal quality and diffraction resolution.