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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy
Published on: March 16, 2020
Sensing the Ultrastructure of Bacterial Surfaces and Their Molecular Binding Forces Using AFM
Yoo Jin Oh1,2, Peter Hinterdorfer3
1Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria.
Abstract:
In this protocol, we provide a detailed step-by-step bacterial surface imaging and molecular analysis procedure. With SPM (scanning probe microscopy)-based dynamic force microscopy (DFM) imaging, we achieved a so far unprecedented resolution of ~1 nm on the outer surface layer of Tannerella forsythia and monitored the production of curli fibers on Escherichia coli in physiological conditions. Moreover, using these immobilization methods, single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments were conducted on living bacterial cells.
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