Proceeding from basic fundamentals to applications, this volume provides a comprehensive overview of the use of AFM and related scanning probe microscopies for cell surface analysis. It covers all cell types, from viruses and protoplasts to bacteria and animal cells. It also discusses a range of advanced AFM modalities, including high-resolution imaging, nanoindentation measurements, recognition imaging, and single-molecule and single-cell force spectroscopy. The book covers methodologies for preparing and analyzing cells and membranes of all kinds and highlights recent examples to illustrate the power of AFM techniques in life sciences and nanomedicine.

About the Author

Yves Dufrene received his engineering degree in chemistry and bioindustries (in 1991) and a PhD degree in biophysical chemistry (in 1996) at the Universite catholique de Louvain (UCL, Belgium). After a postdoc at the Naval Research Laboratory (Washington DC, USA), he became research associate (2000) of the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research and lecturer in physical chemistry and nanobiotechnology at UCL. He is currently the head of the Laboratory of Chemistry of Interfaces.

Reviews

"Atomic force microscopy (AFM) began as a topographical surface imaging technique, but its ability to measure the tiny forces experienced and exerted by cells and the molecules therein has made it an indispensible method for biological research. These forces are central to cell function, and no optical microscopy technique yet surpasses AFM methods for investigating these physical processes at the level of molecules and cells. Now, in this book devoted to the use of AFM in biology, leading scientists using these methods in their own research discuss the great variety of biological applications that have been developed and the many unique discoveries they have allowed. Accessible but informative descriptions and stunning images offer biologists an excellent introduction to this powerful but underexploited methodology. Any biologist considering the use of AFM in their own research is certain to find inspiration in this unique resource."
-Dr. Daniel Evanko, Chief Editor, Nature Methods

"Life at the Nanoscale provides a state-of-the-art overview about how atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be used to image living cells, to probe their attachment to substrates or to other cells, to measure their mechanical properties, and to assess the forces in single-molecule interactions. Experts in the field have contributed chapters that summarize their hands-on experience in concise, and hence most useful, reviews. So many insightful experiments have been achieved over the last decade, and many of them are now presented in this resourceful book, which comes timely for students and experts who have an interest in the interdisciplinary field of cell biology and in the application of tools that address single molecules."
-Prof. Andreas Engel, Case Western Reserve University, USA

Book Information
ISBN 9789814267960
Author Yves Dufrene
Format Hardback
Page Count 454
Imprint Pan Stanford Publishing Pte Ltd
Publisher Pan Stanford Publishing Pte Ltd
Weight(grams) 1020g