title: Bioelectromechanical imaging by scanning probe microscopy: Galvani's experiment at the nanoscale.
abstract: Since the discovery in the late 18th century of electrically induced mechanical response in muscle tissue, coupling between electrical and mechanical phenomena has been shown to be a near-universal feature of biological systems. Here, we employ scanning probe microscopy (SPM) to measure the sub-Angstrom mechanical response of a biological system induced by an electric bias applied to a conductive SPM tip. Visualization of the spiral shape and orientation of protein fibrils with 5 nm spatial resolution in a human tooth and chitin molecular bundle orientation in a butterfly wing is demonstrated. In particular, the applicability of SPM-based techniques for the determination of molecular orientation is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Condensed Matter Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA. sergei2@ornl.gov
authors.forename: Sergei V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kalinin
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jesse
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grichko
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thundat
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Baddorf
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gruverman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002080:Butterflies / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002686:Chitin / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003094:Collagen / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003804:Dentin / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D020527:Microscopy, Scanning Probe; D036103:Nanotechnology; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002686:Chitin; D003094:Collagen