Financiering FWO Hercules: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanobiotechnology based platform from reaching dynamics of single molecules to versatile materials and cell mechanics

An AFM-nanobiotechnology platform that is composed of (1) a high-speed bio-AFM, and (2) an upgraded AFM with advanced sensors, is proposed. This platform will allow to study various nano(bio)technology topics at a very high
state-of-the-art spatial and temporal resolution. The intended research domains include structural biology (microbial adhesins, fibril formation, protein crystallisation), nanomicrobiology (host pathogen interactions, protein-DNA
interactions) and microbiology (bacteria and water purification), nanomedicine (cell mechanobiology), and (bio)material science (corrosion, adhesive micropatterns), and food sciences. The system also includes the FluidFM technology (Cytosurge, Switzerland) that can be used for pen lithography, single cell manipulation, single cell injection, single cell force spectroscopy, and single-cell nano motion detection. Advanced sensory functionalities based on vibrational and fluorescence microscopy will allow for obtain additional insights into structure of materials and molecule conformation.