Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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...

Studying the Cytoskeleton

Studying the Cytoskeleton

The cytoskeletal architecture can be studied using different microscopic and biochemical techniques. Electron microscopy was instrumental in discovering the cytoskeletal architecture around the 1960s, which allowed obtaining structural information at a high-resolution level. However, the sample preparation procedure often limits this ability in biological samples. Several protocols have been developed over the years to optimize sample preparation. In one of the protocols known as rotary...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Molecular action of NZ2114, a superior plectasin derivative.

npj antimicrobials and resistance·2026

Same author

Dynamics of viral self-assembly, viral genome packaging, and virus-cell interactions studied by optical tweezers.

European biophysics journal : EBJ·2026

Same author

MDA5 generates compact ribonucleoprotein complexes via ATP-dependent double-stranded RNA unwinding.

Nucleic acids research·2026

Same author

Impact of modification of envelope proteins on the mechanical properties of HIV virus-like particles.

Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials·2026

Same author

Influence of Substrate on Supported Lipid Bilayers: Membrane Adhesion, Stretching, Pores, and Remodeling.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2026

Same author

A state-of-the-art in exploring microalgal vitamins: Advancements in production, extraction, market potential, applications, and perspectives for a sustainable future.

Preparative biochemistry & biotechnology·2026

Same journal

Tracking Synthetic Adhesins on Bacterial Surfaces with Immunofluorescence Microscopy.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026

Same journal

Post-Selection Methods for Analyzing mRNA Display Selections and Optimization of Hits.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026

Same journal

High-Performance Computing in Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS) Peptide Identification.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026

Same journal

Engineering and Adapting Disulfide-Containing Proteins to Enable Intracellular Functionality.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026

Same journal

AI-Driven Protein Research: From Prediction to Design.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026

Same journal

Methods for the In Vitro Selection of Protein and Peptide Libraries Using mRNA Display.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2025

High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging of DNA Three-Point-Star Motif Self Assembly Using Photothermal Off-Resonance Tapping

High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging of DNA Three-Point-Star Motif Self Assembly Using Photothermal Off-Resonance Tapping

Published on: March 22, 2024

Visualizing Molecular Dynamics by High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy.

Chris van Ewijk¹, Sourav Maity¹, Wouter H Roos²

¹Molecular Biophysics, Zernike Instituut, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|October 12, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

High-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) enables visualization of dynamic molecular processes at high resolution. This technique allows studying the essential structural changes of biomolecules under near-physiological conditions.

Keywords:

Atomic force microscope (AFM)Biological applications Cantilever High-speed AFM Intermittent contact Single molecule

More Related Videos

Atomic Force Microscopy of Red-Light Photoreceptors Using PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Property Mapping

Atomic Force Microscopy of Red-Light Photoreceptors Using PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Property Mapping

Published on: October 24, 2014

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid

Published on: December 20, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 13, 2025

High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging of DNA Three-Point-Star Motif Self Assembly Using Photothermal Off-Resonance Tapping

High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging of DNA Three-Point-Star Motif Self Assembly Using Photothermal Off-Resonance Tapping

Published on: March 22, 2024

Atomic Force Microscopy of Red-Light Photoreceptors Using PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Property Mapping

Atomic Force Microscopy of Red-Light Photoreceptors Using PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Property Mapping

Published on: October 24, 2014

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid

Published on: December 20, 2016

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Molecular Biology
Microscopy Techniques

Background:

Dynamic processes and structural changes in biological molecules are fundamental to life.
Conventional atomic force microscopy (AFM) offers high resolution but lacks the speed to capture molecular dynamics.
Limitations in imaging rate prevent the study of fast molecular events with traditional AFM.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and describe the working principles of high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM).
To provide an operation protocol for HS-AFM imaging of biological samples in liquid.
To enable the study of biomolecular dynamics at sub-nanometer resolution.

Main Methods:

High-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) for increased imaging velocity.
Imaging and characterization of biological samples in liquid.
Protocol development for HS-AFM operation.

Main Results:

HS-AFM significantly increases imaging velocity compared to conventional AFM.
Enables visualization of dynamic molecular events with high spatiotemporal resolution.
Facilitates near-physiological imaging of biomolecules.

Conclusions:

HS-AFM overcomes the temporal limitations of conventional AFM for studying molecular dynamics.
This technique provides unprecedented insights into the functional mechanisms of biomolecules.
The described protocol facilitates the application of HS-AFM in biological research.