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Nanoscale Imaging pp 449–468Cite as

AFM Indentation Analysis of Cells to Study Cell Mechanics and Pericellular Coat

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1814))

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) indentation analysis of cells is a unique method of measuring stiffness of the cell body and physical properties of its pericellular coat. These cell parameters correlate with cells of abnormality and diseases. Viable biological cells can be studied with this method directly in a culture dish with no special preparation. Here we describe a step-by-step method to analyze the AFM force-indentation curves to derive cell mechanics (the modulus of elasticity of the cell body) and the parameters of the pericellular coat (density and the thickness of the coat layer). Technical details, potential difficulties, and points of special attention are described.

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Acknowledgments

I.S. gratefully acknowledges funding for this work by NSF CMMI-1435655.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA

    Igor Sokolov & Maxim E. Dokukin

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA

    Igor Sokolov

  3. Department of Physics, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA

    Igor Sokolov

Authors
  1. Igor Sokolov
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  2. Maxim E. Dokukin
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Correspondence to Igor Sokolov .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA

    Yuri L. Lyubchenko

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Sokolov, I., Dokukin, M.E. (2018). AFM Indentation Analysis of Cells to Study Cell Mechanics and Pericellular Coat. In: Lyubchenko, Y. (eds) Nanoscale Imaging. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1814. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8591-3_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8591-3_27

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-8590-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-8591-3

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