Atomic Force Microscope

• Subject Area: Basic Research in Biology and Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 345462892

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a state-of-the art method to quantify and image mechanical forces, rigidity and topology of cells and molecules as well as subcellular and connective tissue structures with high resolution. It is a unique versatile tool that allows measurement of cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion forces both on single cell and single molecule level, elastic probing of tissues, cells and subcellular compartments in situ as well as mechanical stimulation and response measurements. At the same time, the AFM can image live specimens with nm-μm scale resolution. The CRC 829 and the larger Cologne biomedical community crucially depend on this key technology. At present scientists use an outdated AFM located at the MPI for Biology of Ageing , a temporary loan from the MPI for Dynamics and Self-organization, or initiated collaborations in Munich, Göttingen and Jülich, which is far from ideal as AFM measurements are done on fresh, unfixed material, thus limiting the type of experiments that can be done. Purchase of this instrument would greatly advance the use of this key state-of-the-art technology and make it a core competence of the CRC 829 and Cologne. The University of Cologne is therefore applying for the AFM through a “Grossgerate Antrag” to provide the necessary research infrastructure not only supporting CRC 829 but also a main research focus of the medical faculty and the university.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Atomic Force Microscope
• Instrumentation Group: 5091 Rasterkraft-Mikroskope
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Leader: Professorin Dr. Carien Niessen, Ph.D.