IDR - Collaborative Research: Evanescent Field-Enabled Atomic Force Microscopy for Nanoscale Imaging of Cell Membrane Dynamics

迈斯纳这项合作提案结合了具有光学共振的微尺度结构领域的最新进展和细胞水平的机械转导表征，以促进对血管壁细胞-细胞外基质界面上的生物力学和机械生物学的理解。将迈斯纳集团的生物医学光学知识与迈宁格集团的心血管、细胞生物学和原子力显微镜专业知识相结合，将展示一种可广泛应用于细胞生物学纳米级成像的新型渐变光学成像技术。通过微球结构中的耳语走廊模式产生的逝去场将首次实现对培养细胞顶端表面的全内反射显微镜(TIRFM)成像和传感。结合生物医学工程和生命科学的专业知识，合作的目标是首先通过将共振微球耦合到原子力显微镜(AFM)来开发空间可移动的TIRFM系统，其次研究细胞-细胞外基质界面的动态生物过程。该项目整合了工程学和生命科学的发展，将产生一种新的成像方法，不仅将促进对细胞机械感觉和转导的了解，还将通过扩大细胞膜表面纳米级成像的范围和分辨率来提供一种新的消逝技术，以补充传统的显微镜技术。

0933719MeissnerThis collaborative proposal combines recent advances in the areas of microscale structures possessing optical resonances and mechano-transduction characterization at the cellular level to advance understanding of the biomechanics and mechanobiology at the cell-extracellular matrix interface for cells of the vascular wall. Combining the biomedical optics knowledge of the Meissner group with the cardiovascular, cell biology and AFM expertise of the Meininger group will result in the demonstration of a novel evanescent optical imaging technique that can be broadly applied to nanoscale imaging in cell biology. Evanescent fields generated by whispering gallery modes in microspherical structures will for the first time enable total internal reflection microscopy (TIRFM) imaging and sensing on the apical surface of cells in culture. With combined expertise in biomedical engineering and life sciences, the objectives of the collaboration are first to develop a spatially mobile TIRFM system by coupling resonant microspheres to an atomic force microscope (AFM) and second to study dynamic biological processes at the cell-extracellular matrix interface. This project integrates developments in both engineering and life sciences, and will produce a new imaging method that will both advance understanding of cell mechano-sensation and -transduction as well as provide a novel evanescent technique complementing conventional microscopy by expanding range and resolution used in nanoscale imaging at the cell membrane surface.