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Encyclopedia of Biophysics pp 1–14Cite as

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for Topography and Recognition Imaging at Single-Molecule Level

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Synonyms

Simultaneous topography and recognition imaging (TREC); Single-molecule methods

Definition

High-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) topography has become a powerful bioanalytical tool when utilized for single-molecule force spectroscopy or simultaneous “topography and recognition imaging” (TREC). These modes allow for mapping of specific ligand-binding sites on biological samples under physiological conditions with nanometer resolution.

Introduction

Atomic force microcopy (AFM) is a version of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) that is extensively used in life sciences because it can be operated in physiological salt solution. In AFM imaging, a sharp probe tip mounted on a microcantilever scans over the specimen line by line, whereby the topographic image of the sample surface is generated by “feeling” rather than “looking.” Tips with high sharpness provide high resolution, and cantilevers with low spring constants allow precise control of the forces between tip and sample....

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Linz, Austria

    Memed Duman, Yoo Jin Oh, Rong Zhu, Michael Leitner, Andreas Ebner & Peter Hinterdorfer

  2. Institute of Science, Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine Division, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

    Memed Duman

Authors
  1. Memed Duman
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  2. Yoo Jin Oh
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  3. Rong Zhu
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  4. Michael Leitner
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  5. Andreas Ebner
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  6. Peter Hinterdorfer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Hinterdorfer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Leicester MRC Centre, Leicester, United Kingdom

    Gordon Roberts

  2. Dept Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

    Anthony Watts

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Chemistry, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Nils G. Walter

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© 2018 European Biophysical Societies' Association (EBSA)

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Duman, M., Oh, Y.J., Zhu, R., Leitner, M., Ebner, A., Hinterdorfer, P. (2018). Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for Topography and Recognition Imaging at Single-Molecule Level. In: Roberts, G., Watts, A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Biophysics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35943-9_496-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35943-9_496-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-35943-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35943-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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