An open-source combined atomic force microscope and optical microscope for mechanobiology studies
Daniel Delgado,
Sarah Desroches,
Gia Kang,
Yousef Aldabii,
Andrew R. Harris
Affiliations
Daniel Delgado
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel by Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1S 5B6
Sarah Desroches
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel by Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1S 5B6; Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel by Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1S 5B6
Gia Kang
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel by Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1S 5B6
Yousef Aldabii
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel by Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1S 5B6
Andrew R. Harris
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel by Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1S 5B6; Corresponding author.
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has become the gold standard tool for measuring mechanical properties of biological samples including proteins, single cells and tissues. However, investment in this specialized equipment and gaining expertise in its operation are significant obstacles for non-experts looking to adopt this technique. To address this, we have designed an AFM based mechanical measurement system for measuring cell mechanical properties which is combined with a custom inverted fluorescence microscope which can be used for characterizing mechanosensitive responses. This system, through its ease of use and low setup cost, will promote interdisciplinary research leading to new insights into the role of cell mechanics and mechanosensitive responses in physiology and disease.
