Opening up New Structural Biology by High-speed AFM

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24227005
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Biophysics
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Ando Toshio 金沢大学, バイオAFM先端研究センター, 特任教授 (50184320)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): UCHIHASHI Takayuki 金沢大学, 数物科学系, 教授 (30326300) ; FUKUMORI Yoshihiro 金沢大学, 自然システム系, 教授 (60135655) ; FUKUMA Takeshi 金沢大学, 電子情報学系, 教授 (90452094) ; KODERA Noriyuki 金沢大学, 理工研究域バイオAFM先端研究センター, 准教授 (30584635) ; KONNO Hiroki 金沢大学, 理工研究域バイオAFM先端研究センター, 准教授 (80419267) ; WONG Richard 金沢大学, 新学術創成研究機構, 教授 (30464035) ; MURAKAMI Satoshi 東京工業大学, 生命理工学研究科, 教授 (30300966) ; OGURA Teru 熊本大学, 発生医学研究所, 教授 (00158825) ; TOYOSHIMA Yoko 東京大学, 総合文化研究科, 教授 (40158043) ; KANDORI Hideki 名古屋工業大学, 工学研究科, 教授 (70202033)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-05-31 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 走査プローブ顕微鏡 / 1分子計測・操作 / バイオイメージング / タンパク質 / 細胞 / ダイナミクス / AFM / 走査型イオン伝導顕微鏡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We worked on three subjects. In subject 1, we elucidated the functional mechanism of various protein systems by observing their dynamic processes using high-speed AFM (HS-AFM) that we had established before. Besides, we demonstrated that HS-AFM can analyze the structure of intrinsically disordered proteins that are difficult to analyze with conventional methods. In subject 2, we developed fast/wide-area scanning techniques without generation of unwanted vibrations and an interactive HS-AFM technique that can manipulate the sample during imaging. The usefulness of these new techniques were demonstrated. In addition, we developed cantilever-scan type of HS-AFM combined with fluorescence microscopy, and thereby, made it possible to capture HS-AFM and fluorescence images simultaneously. In subject 3, we developed high-speed scanning ion conductance microscopy that can image the sample without contact with the sample. The imaging speed reached a level 100-times faster than before.

Free Research Field

生物物理学