title: [Application of atomic force microscope in life science research].
abstract: Atomic force microscope (AFM) is one of the most recent imaging and manipulation techniques in biological science. Among its various merits, AFM typically enables simple sample preparation, acquisition of three-dimensional images to identify single atoms under different conditions, detection of the interactive forces between two single biomolecules and their manipulation. AFM is currently applied in the research of the structure and function, at the nanometric scale, of various tissues, cells, microbes and biomolecules, and studies of the interaction between two biomolecules as well as the manipulation of some biological processes. AFM possesses the potential to become an important instrument in life science research, in spite of its current limits that require improvements such as in carbon nanotube tip, rigidity of soft biological samples and result interpretation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China. yu-yg@tom.com
authors.forename: Yi-Gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ru-Xiang
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ying-Qian
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Xiao-Dan
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yi-Quan
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Ke
mesh_terms: D001690:Biological Science Disciplines / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D043942:Nanotubes