title: Probing single biomolecules with atomic force microscopy.
abstract: During the last years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has developed from a microscopy tool for solid-state surface science toward a method employed in many scientific disciplines, such as biology, for investigating individual molecules on a nanometer scale. This article describes the current status of the imaging possibilities of AFM on RNA, IgG, and gold-labeled cell adhesion proteoglycans, as well as of measurements of intermolecular binding forces between biomolecules in order to investigate their molecular structure, function, and elasticity.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Services, Physics, Novartis Services AG, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Anselmetti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jarchow
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fernàndez-Busquets
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D006046:Gold; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D011161:Porifera; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011509:Proteoglycans; C013065:cell aggregation factors; D012313:RNA; D006046:Gold