Atomic Force Microscopy of Live Cells (Animation)

This is a short video I made in blender schematizing atomic force microscopy of live cells. Atomic force microscopy can be used to measure the mechanical properties of objects and cells. Using this technique you can calculate how much force is being applied to the cell based on the signal of a laser onto a detector. The laser is reflected off the end of the cantilever beam onto a detector and as the beam bends (based on the magnitude of the force) the location of the laser spot will move. Based on this and knowing the stiffness of the cantilever we can calculated the forces. The use of a large spherical probe makes this a bulk measurement. Alternatively, a sharp tip can be used to image cell topology or stiffness at different points along the membrane.