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Atomic Force Microscopy as Nanorobot

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Atomic Force Microscopy in Biomedical Research

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 736))

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful and widely used imaging technique that can visualize single molecules under physiological condition at the nanometer scale. In this chapter, an AFM-based nanorobot for biological studies is introduced. Using the AFM tip as an end effector, the AFM can be modified into a nanorobot that can manipulate biological objects at the single-molecule level. By functionalizing the AFM tip with specific antibodies, the nanorobot is able to identify specific types of receptors on the cell membrane. It is similar to the fluorescent optical microscopy but with higher resolution. By locally updating the AFM image based on interaction force information and objects’ model during nanomanipulation, real-time visual feedback is obtained through the augmented reality interface. The development of the AFM-based nanorobotic system enables us to conduct in situ imaging, sensing, and manipulation simultaneously at the nanometer scale (e.g., protein and DNA levels). The AFM-based nanorobotic system offers several advantages and capabilities for studying structure–function relationships of biological specimens. As a result, many biomedical applications can be achieved by the AFM-based nanorobotic system.

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Acknowledgments

This research work is partially supported by NSF Grants IIS-0713346 and DMI-0500372, and ONR Grants N00014-04-1-0799 and N00014-07-1-0935.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Ning Xi

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  1. Ning Xi
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  2. Carmen Kar Man Fung
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  3. Ruiguo Yang
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  4. King Wai Chiu Lai
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  5. Donna H. Wang
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  6. Kristina Seiffert-Sinha
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  7. Animesh A. Sinha
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  8. Guangyong Li
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  9. Lianqing Liu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ning Xi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, Milano, 20129, Italy

    Pier Carlo Braga

  2. , Robotics, Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy

    Davide Ricci

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Xi, N. et al. (2011). Atomic Force Microscopy as Nanorobot. In: Braga, P., Ricci, D. (eds) Atomic Force Microscopy in Biomedical Research. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 736. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-105-5_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-105-5_29

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-104-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-105-5

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