title: Atomic force microscopy as nanorobot.
abstract: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful and widely used imaging technique that can visualize single molecules under physiological condition at the nanometer scale. In this chapter, an AFM-based nanorobot for biological studies is introduced. Using the AFM tip as an end effector, the AFM can be modified into a nanorobot that can manipulate biological objects at the single-molecule level. By functionalizing the AFM tip with specific antibodies, the nanorobot is able to identify specific types of receptors on the cell membrane. It is similar to the fluorescent optical microscopy but with higher resolution. By locally updating the AFM image based on interaction force information and objects' model during nanomanipulation, real-time visual feedback is obtained through the augmented reality interface. The development of the AFM-based nanorobotic system enables us to conduct in situ imaging, sensing, and manipulation simultaneously at the nanometer scale (e.g., protein and DNA levels). The AFM-based nanorobotic system offers several advantages and capabilities for studying structure-function relationships of biological specimens. As a result, many biomedical applications can be achieved by the AFM-based nanorobotic system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. xin@egr.msu.edu
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Carmen Kar Man
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Ruiguo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: King Wai Chiu
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Donna H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seiffert-Sinha
authors.forename: Animesh A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Guangyong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lianqing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods