title: New frontiers in atomic force microscopy: analyzing interactions from single-molecules to cells.
abstract: Originally invented for imaging surfaces, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has evolved into a multifunctional molecular toolkit, enabling us to investigate the interactions of biological systems over scales ranging from single-molecules to whole cells. Specific highlights include the nanoscale imaging of the chemical properties of individual cells, the detection and functional analysis of cell surface receptors using single-molecule force spectroscopy and the quantitative measurement of cellular interactions using single-cell force spectroscopy. These advanced force spectroscopy modalities offer new opportunities for understanding the molecular bases of cell adhesion processes, which is a fundamental challenge in current life science and biotech research.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. daniel.mueller@biotec.tudresden.de
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krieg
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alsteens
authors.forename: Yves F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Dufrêne
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface