title: Nanofork for single cells adhesion measurement via ESEM-nanomanipulator system.
abstract: In this paper, single cells adhesion force was measured using a nanofork. The nanofork was used to pick up a single cell on a line array substrate inside an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). The line array substrate was used to provide small gaps between the single cells and the substrate. Therefore, the nanofork could be inserted through these gaps in order to successfully pick up a single cell. Adhesion force was measured during the cell pick-up process from the deflection of the cantilever beam. The nanofork was fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB) etching process while the line array substrate was fabricated using nanoimprinting technology. As to investigate the effect of contact area on the strength of the adhesion force, two sizes of gap distance of line array substrate were used, i.e.,  1 μm and   2 μm. Results showed that cells attached on the  1 μm gap line array substrate required more force to be released as compared to the cells attached on the  1 μm gap line array substrate.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Mechatronics and Robotics, Institute of Ibnu Sina, Universiti TeknologiMalaysia, Johor, Malaysia. ridzuan@fke.utm.my
authors.forename: Mohd Ridzuan
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Homma
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuda
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology