MRI: Development of an Atomic Force Microscope with Atomic Scale Stability for Biological Studies in Water

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This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award is awarded to the University of Colorado for the development of a novel ultrastable atomic force microscope (US-AFM) designed to address the pressing need in structural biology for an atomically precise tool to study protein structure and conformational dynamics. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is limited by unwanted mechanical drift between the tip and sample. This limitation is exacerbated by environmental perturbations, which occur in biologically relevant conditions (room temperature in liquid). To be broadly applicable, operation and control of US-AFM needs to be user-friendly, robust, and reliable for room temperature operation in liquid. The resulting instrumentation allows the atomic sensitivity of AFM to be fully exploited for a range of disciplines, including biology, physics, chemistry, and nanotechnology. Student participation in this project is an outstanding research and educational experience because of its multi-disciplinary nature. Results from these studies will be presented by students and faculty at regional or national meetings, and published in peer-reviewed journals.