Atomic force microscopy for biological imaging and mechanical testing across length scales

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) offers researchers a unique opportunity to visualize, manipulate, and quantitatively assess structural and mechanical aspects of native biological samples with nanometer resolution. An unparalleled advantage of AFM over other high-resolution microscopes is that biological specimens, ranging from tissues to cells to molecules, can be investigated in physiologically relevant aqueous environments. The AFM can be operated at 37°C, which makes it ideal for in situ cell or tissue studies. Combining an optical microscope with an AFM makes it possible to directly correlate structural/nanomechanical changes with optical/fluorescence images. This ability to simultaneously acquire structural and function information is unprecedented in biology. This article introduces the basics of AFM for imaging and investigating the properties of biological samples.