1996 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Development and Application of Atomic Force Microscopy to biological sciences.
| Project/Area Number |
07557002
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 試験 |
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| Research Field |
General anatomy (including Histology/Embryology)
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| Research Institution | Kyushu University |
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Principal Investigator |
SHIBATA Yosaburo Kyushu University, Medicine, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (90037482)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
OKUTOMI Akitsugu JEOL engineering, head of technical division, 技術総括部, 部長
INAI Tetsuichiro Kyushu Univ., Medicine, Assistant Professor, 医学部, 助手 (00264044)
NAKAMURA Kei-ichiro Kyushu Univ., Medicine, Associate Professor, 医学部, 助教授 (20172398)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1995 – 1996
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| Keywords | atomic force microscopy / scanning probe microscopy / contact mode / biological molecules / plasmid DNA / epithelial cells / microvilli / microplicae |
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| Research Abstract |
The atomic force microscope (AFM) (JSTM-4200A,JEOL), one of subtypes of scanning probe microscopes, was introduced to develop techniques for biological applications. The AFM is equipped with contact mode device in which a silicon-nitride probe at the tip of cantilever scan over the surface of specimens in the air at room temperature. As the AFM is originally designed for material sciences, some parts or devices were modified in order to obtain better accessibility for biological materials.
New preparation procedures of biological specimens were also developed and attempted for observation under AFM.Purified plasmid DNA resuspended in double distillled water were bound on the freshly cleaved mica surface, and a circular profile of DNA molecules was visualized under AFM.Although the thickness measured about 10 nm is not considered to be correct order, the accessibility of this method will be facilitated for analysis of molecular interactions. Observation of some types of epithelial cell surface revealed clear images of microvilli and microplicae with high magnification in the air, without metal coating which is required for SEM observation. Freeze-drying is proved to be effective for preparation of specimens.
The advantages of AFM over conventional microscopy are observation of high resolution in the air, easy accessibility, and to be operable even in wet condition in which moleculea and cell maintain more functional structure than in dry condition. The AFM will provide a new useful method for the observation of biological materials.
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Research Products
(13 results)
