Manipulation of van der Waals forces to improve image resolution in atomic‐force microscopy

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 4123-4129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L. Hutter ◽  
John Bechhoefer
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Van Der Waals ◽  
Van Der Waals Forces ◽  
Image Resolution ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force

Corrections to the van der Waals forces in application to atomic force microscopy

1995 ◽  
Vol 328 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 129-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bordag ◽  
G.L. Klimchitskaya ◽  
V.M. Mostepanenko
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Van Der Waals ◽  
Van Der Waals Forces ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force

scholarly journals Three-dimensional reconstruction of individual helical nano-filament structures from atomic force microscopy topographs

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liisa Lutter ◽  
Christopher J. Serpell ◽  
Mick F. Tuite ◽  
Louise C. Serpell ◽  
Wei-Feng Xue
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Structural Biology ◽  
Image Resolution ◽  
Enhancement Effect ◽  
Structural Studies ◽  
Molecular Assemblies ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Amyloid Toxicity ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Nano Structures

AbstractAtomic force microscopy, AFM, is a powerful tool that can produce detailed topographical images of individual nano-structures with a high signal-to-noise ratio without the need for ensemble averaging. However, the application of AFM in structural biology has been hampered by the tip-sample convolution effect, which distorts images of nano-structures, particularly those that are of similar dimensions to the cantilever probe tips used in AFM. Here we show that the tip-sample convolution results in a feature-dependent and non-uniform distribution of image resolution on AFM topographs. We show how this effect can be utilised in structural studies of nano-sized upward convex objects such as spherical or filamentous molecular assemblies deposited on a flat surface, because it causes ‘magnification’ of such objects in AFM topographs. Subsequently, this enhancement effect is harnessed through contact-point based deconvolution of AFM topographs. Here, the application of this approach is demonstrated through the 3D reconstruction of the surface envelope of individual helical amyloid filaments without the need of cross-particle averaging using the contact-deconvoluted AFM topographs. Resolving the structural variations of individual macromolecular assemblies within inherently heterogeneous populations is paramount for mechanistic understanding of many biological phenomena such as amyloid toxicity and prion strains. The approach presented here will also facilitate the use of AFM for high-resolution structural studies and integrative structural biology analysis of single molecular assemblies.

scholarly journals Three-dimensional reconstruction of individual helical nano-filament structures from atomic force microscopy topographs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liisa Lutter ◽  
Christopher Serpell ◽  
Mick Tuite ◽  
Louise Serpell ◽  
Wei-Feng Xue
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Structural Biology ◽  
Image Resolution ◽  
Enhancement Effect ◽  
Structural Studies ◽  
Molecular Assemblies ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Amyloid Toxicity ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Nano Structures

ABSTRACTAtomic force microscopy, AFM, is a powerful tool that can produce detailed topographical images of individual nano-structures with a high signal-to-noise ratio without the need for ensemble averaging. However, the application of AFM in structural biology has been hampered by the tip-sample convolution effect, which distorts images of nano-structures, particularly those that are of similar dimensions to the cantilever probe tips used in AFM. Here we show that the tip-sample convolution results in a feature-dependent and non-uniform distribution of image resolution on AFM topographs. We show how this effect can be utilised in structural studies of nano-sized upward convex objects such as spherical or filamentous molecular assemblies deposited on a flat surface, because it causes ‘magnification’ of such objects in AFM topographs. Subsequently, this enhancement effect is harnessed through contact-point based deconvolution of AFM topographs. Here, the application of this approach is demonstrated through the 3D reconstruction of the surface envelope of individual helical amyloid filaments without the need of cross-particle averaging using the contact-deconvoluted AFM topographs. Resolving the structural variations of individual macromolecular assemblies within inherently heterogeneous populations is paramount for mechanistic understanding of many biological phenomena such as amyloid toxicity and prion strains. The approach presented here will also facilitate the use of AFM for high-resolution structural studies and integrative structural biology analysis of single molecular assemblies.

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