Force Microscopy (PDF)

A complete examination of the uses of the atomic force microscope
in biology and medicine

This cutting-edge text, written by a team of leading experts, is
the first detailed examination of the latest, most powerful
scanning probe microscope, the atomic force microscope (AFM). Using
the AFM, in combination with conventional tools and techniques,
readers gain a profound understanding of the cell, subcellular
organelles, and biomolecular structure and function.

The text begins with three chapters describing the molecular
machinery and mechanism of cell secretion and membrane fusion in
cells, using approaches that combine AFM, electron microscopy,
X-ray diffraction, photon correlation spectroscopy, molecular
biology, biochemistry, and electrophysiology. The discovery of a
new cellular structure the "porosome" or fusion pore--the cells
secretory machinery, the molecular mechanism of membrane fusion in
cells, and the expulsion of intravesicular contents during cell
secretion are outlined in the first three chapters. The book also
covers:

* Identification of the "porosome" in the growth hormone secreting
cell of the pituitary gland

* Probing the structural and physical properties of microbial cell
surfaces

* Scanning probe microscopic characterization of the higher plant
cell wall and its components

* Case studies of nano drug delivery systems using engineered
dendrimers

* AFM techniques for studying living cells

* Investigating the intermolecular forces of leukocyte adhesion
molecules

* Protein-protein interactions

* Micromechanical properties of lipid bilayers and vesicles

The text concludes with four chapters that examine new and emerging
approaches in the use of force microscopy in biology and
medicine.

This text is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students
and researchers in cell and molecular biology, genetics, genomics,
physiology, neuroscience, biophysics, and biochemistry. Not only
does it provide the theory, but also practical considerations such
as the selection of the right tools and approach.