Development of 3D-AFM for visualizing chromosomes by carbon nanotube tip

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K14603
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 29020:Thin film/surface and interfacial physical properties-related
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Miyazawa Keisuke 金沢大学, フロンティア工学系, 助教 (40845525)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 原子間力顕微鏡 / カーボンナノチューブ / 染色体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we developed a carbon nanotube (CNT) tip used for in-liquid atomic force microscopy (AFM) and succeeded in visualizing the three-dimensional structure of human chromosomes by 3D-AFM with the CNT tip, which was difficult to achieve with conventional AFM. In addition, we performed the measurement of DNA in liquid using the developed CNT tip, and the problem of swelling of the apparent shape of DNA using conventional AFM tip was solved, and the helical structure of the DNA surface was successfully observed simultaneously while measuring the shape of DNA with a diameter of 2 nm.

Free Research Field

計測工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、従来のAFMでは困難であった生体試料の内部計測が可能となり、本研究で用いた染色体だけではなく、細胞核、ゴルジ体、ミトコンドリアなどの各オルガネラの液中3次元計測の可能性が拓かれた。これは、液中AFMの応用可能性を大きく広げる成果であり、液中AFMが生物学や医学・薬学などの各分野に普及し、生体試料に関するナノレベルの新たな構造・力学情報に関する知見を与えることが期待される。