Dynamics and control of high-precision high-speed atomic force microscopy for protein analysis

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Advanced Electrophoresis Solutions Ltd. (AES) has been developing scientific instruments and providing technical services for protein analysis since 2010. Their unique CEInfinite instruments, based on Whole Column Imaging Detection (WCID), have been used by clients worldwide for high performance, high throughput, high resolution, and reproducible protein analysis. Atomic force microscope (AFM) is a versatile technique that is being used increasingly in protein analysis. The operational range of high-speed AFM imaging is well suited for characterizing structures at the molecular and cellular levels. Currently, AES is working on integrating its high performance CEInfinite instruments with high-precision high-speed atomic force microscopy (HPHS-AFM). This integration will provide innovative, comprehensive protein analysis. In order to achieve this goal, several key technologies related to atomic force microscopy (AFM) will need to be developed and it is expected that these goals will be achieved through this NSERC Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) project. Piezoelectric actuators are the key elements for nanopositioning in AFMs due to many advantages. However, the inherent nonlinearities, such as hysteresis, creep, drifts due to vibration and temperature changes cause inaccuate positioning and low operation speed. This project aims to provide novel and realistic modeling and control approaches for nonlinearities of piezoelectric actuators. The success of this project will make the integration of HPHS-AFM and CEInfinite possible. It will enhance AES' capability in protein analysis and becomes the main provider of such services for many applications.