Microelectromechanical Microscope for Biological Analysis

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The plasma membrane regulates many essential cellular processes such as active transport of molecules, enzymatic reactions, and signal transduction. In order to understand these fundamental processes, it is necessary to determine the structure of and the mechanisms at work in the plasma membrane. In recent years, the structure of the plasma membrane has been found to be considerably heterogeneous on a nanometer scale. The tiny scale of these dynamic membrane features has presented a major challenge to microscopists. A new super-resolution scanned probe optical microscope based on microelectromechanical systems will be constructed. Specifically, the objectives are to manufacture, characterize and optimize microelectromechanical sample mounts, to produce a scanning microscope using this technology and to apply this technology to the study of membrane structure and function. The new instrument will have the potential to address questions concerning the proximity of cell surface receptors, the extent of co- aggregation of lipid components, and the function of plasma membrane domains on a resolution scale of tens of nanometers.