DEVELOPMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SPECIMEN PREPARATION TECHNIQUE FOR ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE

在AFM观察生物标本时，最需要解决的问题是使标本在显微镜探针的扫描力下保持稳定。未经任何特殊处理，噬菌体颗粒或细菌鞭毛等生物标本在第一次或第二次扫描后从图像中消失。为了稳定标本，我们尝试使用甲烷或丁烷薄膜。在样品上涂上这些薄膜后，即使用探针扫描5-8次，也能获得良好的图像。膜的厚度可控制在1nm以下。在这种薄膜中，我们可以看到细菌表层的精细结构，s层蛋白质亚基的排列。我们的结论是，膜的涂层是一种有用的技术，用于观察生物标本的AFM。

The most important problem to be solved in the observation of biological specimens by AFM is to stabilize the specimens aginst the scanning force of the probe of the microscope. Without any specific treatment the biological specimens such as phage particles or the bacterial flagella has disappeared from the image after 1st or 2nd scanning. To stabilize the specimen we tried to use the thin membrane of methane or butane. After coating the specimen with these thin membrane we could have good image even after 5-8 scanning with the probe. The thichness of the membrane can be controlled less than 1nm. In such thin membrane we could see the fine structure of bacterial surface layr, the arrangement of protein subunits of S-layr. Our conclusion is that the coating of the membrane is the useful technique for the observation of biological specimens by AFM.