Assembly, tuning and use of an apertureless near field infrared microscope for protein imaging

This paper aims to instruct the reader in the assembly and operation of an infrared near-field microscope for imaging beyond the diffraction limit. The apertureless near-field microscope is a light scattering-type instrument that provides infrared spectra at circa 20 nm resolution. A complete list of components and a step-by-step protocol for use is provided. Common errors in assembly and instrument tuning are discussed. A representative data set that shows the secondary structure of an amyloid fibril is presented.