BioAFM is becoming increasingly essential in biological and biomedical research due to its exceptional resolution and ability to study live cells under physiologically relevant and ambient conditions, including in liquid environments.
With nanometer-resolution surface mapping, BioAFM enables the characterization of key mechanical and electrical properties such as stiffness, elasticity, surface potential, and conductivity.
Bruker’s advanced BioAFM technology supports life science researchers in exploring how these properties influence critical cellular functions, including signaling, communication, cell division, differentiation, tumor metastasis, and infection.
Image Credit: Sanjaya Viraj Bandara/Shutterstock.com
What can be studied with a BioAFM?
BioAFM is suitable for the study of:
- Morphology – Accurate force control and precise movements enable highly detailed scanning of surface structures.
- Dynamics – High-speed scanning allows real-time visualization of dynamic biological processes, including phase and structural transitions.
- Nanomechanics – Specialized BioAFM instrumentation provides a label-free, multiparametric characterization of nanoscale biomechanical properties, such as unbinding forces and Young’s modulus.
- Microrheology and Viscoelastic Properties – Reproducible microrheological measurements and force curves facilitate the study of viscoelastic behavior.
- Structure – Automated long-term measurement routines and robust hardware support investigations into protein folding and unfolding dynamics.
- Cellular Interaction Forces – Large piezo and single-cell force spectroscopy enable the quantification of cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion forces.
What fields of research are BioAFMs suitable for use within?
BioAFMs from Bruker offer industry-leading precision and repeatability in all of the applications discussed in this article, as well as supporting complex, pioneering research in the fields of polymer research, cancer research, microbial interface biology, and biomaterials for use in medical implants and tissue regeneration.
Other application examples include:
Cell biology
A BioAFM can be used to study cells’ structure and morphology, their membranes, surface features, and mechanical properties, such as stiffness and elasticity.
Correlative AFM and Advanced Optical Microscopy in Life Science Research eBook
Molecular biology
A BioAFM can be used to visualize the structure and dynamics of individual proteins and protein complexes, providing useful insights into interactions and conformational changes at the molecular level.
Developmental biology
BioAFM can be used to image and analyze the composition and organization of the extracellular matrix (ECM) during development, providing researchers with detailed insights into how the ECM supports and regulates cell behavior.
Nanomedicine
BioAFM enables the detailed investigation of nanoparticles, pharmaceutical products, and drug delivery systems by analyzing their size, surface characteristics, and structural properties. This provides valuable insights into how these factors influence the bioavailability and efficacy of active ingredients.
Additionally, BioAFM allows researchers to identify morphological changes that occur when a drug candidate interacts with a cell membrane and quantify cell-surface interactions, aiding in the development of more effective therapeutics.
Biomarker development
Cancer, osteoarthritis, and a significant number of other pathological diseases are closely linked to changes in cells’ mechanical properties, such as elasticity and stiffness. BioAFMs are ideally suited to the investigation of these properties, enabling their use as biomarkers for the early detection of a potential underlying disease.
Microbial research
BioAFM enables high-resolution imaging of bacterial cell walls and surface structures, providing detailed insights into microbial morphology. It is also a powerful tool for studying biofilm formation and mechanical properties, key factors in understanding bacterial populations and their resistance to antibiotics.
Neuroscience
With BioAFM, users can achieve high-resolution imaging of neurons and the measurement of neural tissue mechanics, gaining valuable insights into neural network formation and function.
What are the most common applications of BioAFM systems?
BioAFMs are most commonly employed in nanoscale structural analysis and biomechanical characterization. These applications provide valuable insights into an array of molecular, single-cell, and cellular mechanisms and functionality.
Atomic force microscopy provides high-resolution imaging and precise measurement of the nanoscale forces required for these types of investigation. It is, therefore, a key tool in:
- The investigation of biophysics and biomechanics, including cell mechanics and adhesion
- Mechanobiology and mechanotransduction experiments and investigations into mechanosensitive signaling pathways
- Structural analysis of molecules and superstructures, including the cell morphology, cell membrane, and cell skeletons at the nanometer scale
- The imaging of live cells
- Investigation into DNA and RNA binding proteins, nucleic acid-protein interactions, and molecular scaffolds
- The study of receptor-ligand interactions, most notably the quantification of cell-cell and cell-surface interactions, binding affinity, and cellular response
- Single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS)
What types of samples can be measured with a BioAFM?
BioAFM instruments are designed to measure soft, fragile, and complex samples, including single molecules, nucleic acids, proteins, viruses, bacteria, living cells, and tissues. They also enable non-invasive studies of soft matter such as hydrogels, spheroids, organoids, and biomaterials.
Bruker BioAFMs can be customized with a wide range of accessories, allowing researchers to analyze samples of different sizes and compositions on various substrates.
These instruments support measurements under ambient conditions as well as extreme or aggressive environments, ensuring versatility across diverse research applications.
What properties can a BioAFM measure?
A BioAFM can measure nanoscale mechanical properties such as stiffness, elasticity, adhesion, Young’s modulus, dissipation, and deformation, along with particle size, surface structure, and morphology.
These measurements can be applied to a wide range of samples, including single molecules, live cells, tissues, proteins, and bacteria, as well as soft matter materials like polymers and hydrogels.
What sample preparation is needed for using BioAFM?
BioAFM is a label-free technique that allows measurements in both air and liquid, making it ideal for studying live cells under near-physiological conditions.
Unlike other imaging methods, it does not require a vacuum, nor does it necessitate freezing, drying, coating, or microtome sectioning of samples before measurement.
For optimal results, the sample must adhere to a suitable surface substrate, such as a Petri dish, coverslip, or mica. When measuring in liquid, the sample should be immersed in an appropriate buffer solution.
To ensure high-quality imaging, it is recommended to thoroughly clean the substrate beforehand to eliminate contaminants or artifacts that could interfere with measurements.
Acknowledgments
Produced from materials originally authored by Bruker Nano GmbH.
About Bruker BioAFM
Bruker BioAFM, former JPK Instruments AG, is a leading manufacturer of nano-analytical instruments - particularly based on atomic force microscope (AFM) and optical tweezers systems - for life sciences and soft matter applications.
We combine the highest technical skills with visionary applications. Our work applies nanotechnology in ways to provide solutions to challenges facing researchers in life sciences and soft matter today. Driven by inspiration and ambition, it is our conviction that only the best tools are good enough for the research of life. We are listening with the ear of a scientist in detail to the current challenges of our customers and find individual solutions for individual problems. This is how we understand our business.
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Scanning Probe Technology for Soft Matter and Life Sciences
Bruker introduces fast BioAFM for automated mechanobiology