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Biological Force Microscopy
Caption:
A composite of scanning electron microscope images showing biological force microscopy (BFM), developed by National Science Foundation-funded researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The BFM measures nanoscale forces between a living microorganism and another surface such as a mineral or another cell. Such measurements are critical to understanding how bacteria and other microorganisms interact with their inorganic environments.
This image shows a bacterium (green) that has attached itself to a BFM cantilever (gold). Nanometer by nanometer, the researchers performing this work would bring a mineral crystal (blue) towards the cantilever, make contact, and then withdraw the crystal. The cantilever bends due to either attractive or repulsive forces between the cell and mineral. A laser reflecting off the top of the cantilever hits a detector, measuring the nanoscale forces in real time.
(Preview Only)
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| Credit: |
Credit Dr. Steven Lower, Dept of Geology, Univ of Maryland; and Dr. Michael Hochella, Virginia Tech |
| Decade of Image: |
2000 - 2009 |
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Categories:
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Formats Available:
Restrictions:
No additional restrictions--beyond NSF's general restrictions--have been placed on this image. For a list of general restrictions that apply to this and all images in the NSF Image Library, see the section "Conditions".
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