Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications

Submolecular-scale Hairpin DNA Folding Dynamics Studied by High-Speed AFM with Optical Tweezers

This study combines optical tweezers with high-speed AFM to visualize DNA folding dynamics, revealing reversible structural changes and metastable intermediates.

Measuring bridging forces in protein-DNA condensates

This paper measures bridging forces in protein-DNA condensates using optical tweezers and shows that the ssDNA-to-dsDNA ratio affects force magnitude.

Probing the scalability of ultra stable catch bond complexes

This study investigates how environmental factors and mutations affect the stability and scalability of catch bond complexes between SdrG and fibrinogen beta chain using single-molecule and multi-valent adhesion assays.

A Comparative Nanomechanical Study of Antibody and Nanobody Binding to SARS-CoV-2 Variants

This study compares the mechanical stability of antibody and nanobody interactions with SARS-CoV-2 variants using nanomechanical simulations.

A Type III secretion system effector evolved to be mechanically labile and initiate unfolding from the N-terminus.

This paper shows that effector proteins are mechanically labile, unfolding from the N-terminus, which facilitates their secretion via the Type III secretion system.

Three-dimensional single-particle reconstruction by atomic force microscopy allows rapid structural-based validation of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein from a single topology image

This paper develops a method to perform three-dimensional single-particle reconstruction using AFM for rapid structural validation of proteins, demonstrated on SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein.

Enhancing the imaging rate of high-speed atomic force microscopy using a combination of multiple techniques

This study enhances the imaging rate of high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) using multiple techniques, enabling visualization of dynamic biomolecular processes at higher resolution.

Single-molecule Mechanostructural Fingerprinting of Nucleic Acid Conformations

The paper introduces a DNA nanoswitch calipers platform to simultaneously measure structural and mechanical properties of biomolecules, demonstrating its application on telomeric DNA G-quadruplexes.

Near equilibrium unbinding of streptavidin/biotin using single molecule acoustic force spectroscopy.

This study uses acoustic force spectroscopy to measure streptavidin-biotin bond dissociation rates near equilibrium, aligning with bulk measurements and expanding the dynamic range of single molecule force spectroscopy.

Automated Registration and Clustering for Enhanced Localization Atomic Force Microscopy of Flexible Membrane Proteins

This paper introduces a deep learning algorithm to improve lateral resolution of AFM images of flexible membrane proteins by clustering and registering images based on protein conformation.

Resolving interface structure and local internal mechanics of mitotic chromosomes

This study uses AFM to analyze the structure and micromechanics of mitotic chromosomes, revealing fractal properties and elastic recovery behavior.

Ultrastructural viscoelastic behavior of fibrillar collagen identified by AFM Nano-Rheometry and direct indentation

This study uses AFM nano-rheometry to analyze the viscoelastic properties of collagen fibrils at the nanoscale, revealing differences between gap and overlap regions.

An Accessible Python Framework for Real-Time Magnetic Tweezers Microscope Control and Image Processing

The paper introduces MagTrack and MagScope, open-source Python tools for real-time magnetic tweezers control and image processing, offering a customizable alternative to existing systems.

Frequency-dependent cellular microrheology with pyramidal atomic force microscopy probes

This paper develops a framework for using standard pyramidal AFM probes to measure frequency-dependent mechanical properties of cells, validating it with hydrogels and cytoskeletal inhibitor-treated cells.

Probing nanomechanics by direct indentation using Nanoendoscopy-AFM reveals the nuclear elasticity transition in cancer cells

This study uses Nanoendoscopy-AFM to directly measure nuclear elasticity in cancer cells, finding increased elasticity under serum depletion and decreased elasticity with TGF-β treatment.

Dynamic instability in nanoscale lipid domains revealed by contact mode high speed AFM: effect of amyloid-β and cholesterol content

This study uses high-speed AFM to examine how amyloid-β and cholesterol affect the dynamic stability of lipid domains in model membranes.

AFMfit : Deciphering conformational dynamics in AFM data using fast nonlinear NMA and FFT-based search

AFMfit fits atomic models to AFM data to infer conformational dynamics of single molecules using fast nonlinear NMA and FFT-based search.

Enhanced Visualization of Influenza A Virus Entry Using Virus-View Atomic Force Microscopy

This study uses ViViD-AFM to visualize influenza A virus entry into cells, revealing nanoscale interactions and endocytosis mechanisms.

Flexible fitting to infer atomistic-precision models of large-amplitude conformational dynamics in biomolecules from high-speed atomic force microscopy imaging

The paper introduces NMFF-AFM, a method to infer atomistic models of biomolecular dynamics from HS-AFM imaging data, and integrates it into BioAFMviewer for analysis and visualization.

Force-dependent Reorganization and Mechanostability of the Izumo1:Juno Complex Involved in Human Fertilization

The paper investigates the mechanical properties of the Izumo1:Juno complex using force spectroscopy and simulations, revealing its mechanostability and how mutations affect it.

Probing protein-protein interactions with drag flow: A case study of F-actin and tropomyosin

The paper introduces a drag flow method to study protein-protein interactions, showing that low forces detach tropomyosin clusters from actin filaments, with detachment rates depending on isoform and force magnitude.

DNA polymerase actively and sequentially displaces single-stranded DNA-binding proteins

This study investigates how DNA polymerase displaces SSBs during replication, showing sequential displacement and the role of SSB saturation in replication efficiency.

Biomechanical profiling of human epithelial corneal cells using atomic force microscopy

This study uses atomic force microscopy to measure hardness variations in human corneal epithelial cells, finding differences between central, paracentral, and peripheral regions.

Nanotribology of Viruses Reveals Their Adhesion Strength and Modality of Motion on Surfaces

This study investigates the adhesion strength and motion of viruses on surfaces, finding they roll with less force than rigid gold nanoparticles.

Indenting multi-cellular spheroids with various cantilever tip geometry

This study investigates how different AFM tip geometries affect the mechanical properties of multi-cellular spheroids, revealing multiscale responses and the importance of probe selection.

Under or Over? Tracing Complex DNA Structures with High-Resolution Atomic Force Microscopy

This paper introduces a high-throughput AFM-based pipeline using deep learning to trace DNA topology, revealing new insights into DNA structures and their interactions.

Unravelling Antibody-Induced Mechanical Stability of Antigen: Insights from Single-Molecule Studies

This study investigates how IgM antibodies affect the mechanical stability of protein L using single-molecule techniques, revealing concentration-dependent stability increases and altered unfolding pathways.

Multi-axial DNA origami force spectroscopy unlocks conformational dynamics hidden under single-axial tension

The paper introduces MAESTRO, a multi-axial force application method, revealing hidden conformational dynamics in Holliday junctions under complex mechanical environments.

Non-Invasive Mechanical-Functional Analysis of Individual Liver Mitochondria by Atomic Force Microscopy

This paper introduces a label-free AFM method to analyze mitochondrial function at the single-organelle level, showing correlation between mechanical properties and mitochondrial membrane potential.

Mechanical Responses of the Giant Nesprin-2

This study investigates the mechanical dynamics of giant nesprin-2's spectrin repeat domains under force, revealing their unfolding and refolding behavior and their role in force absorption.