title: Cellular level nanomanipulation using atomic force microscope aided with superresolution imaging.
abstract: Atomic force microscopes (AFM) provide topographical and mechanical information of the sample with very good axial resolution, but are limited in terms of chemical specificity and operation time-scale. An optical microscope coupled to an AFM can recognize and target an area of interest using specific identification markers like fluorescence tags. A high resolution fluorescence microscope can visualize fluorescence structures or molecules below the classical optical diffraction limit and reach nanometer scale resolution. A stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy superresolution (SR) microscope coupled to an AFM is an example in which the AFM tip gains nanoscale manipulation capabilities. The SR targeting and visualization ability help in fast and specific identification of subdiffraction-sized cellular structures and manoeuvring the AFM tip onto the target. We demonstrate how to build a STED AFM and use it for biological nanomanipulation aided with fast visualization. The STED AFM based bionanomanipulation is presented for the first time in this article. This study points to future nanosurgeries performable at single-cell level and a physical targeted manipulation of cellular features as it is currently used in research domains like nanomedicine and nanorobotics.
authors.affiliation: Nanophysics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, ItalybUniversity of Genova, Department of Physics, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16153 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Jenu Varghese
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Chacko
authors.affiliation: Nanophysics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, ItalycAbberior Instruments GmbH, Göttingen D-37077, Germany.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Harke
authors.affiliation: Nanophysics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Canale
authors.affiliation: Nanophysics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, ItalybUniversity of Genova, Department of Physics, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16153 Genoa, ItalydNikon Imaging Center at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diaspro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004867:Equipment Design; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D048328:Potoroidae