Frontiers in Physiology (Jan 2013)

Scanning ion conductance microscopy: A nanotechnology for biological studies in live cells

  • Bing-Chen eLiu,
  • Xiao-Yu eLu,
  • Xiang eSong,
  • Ke-Yu eLei,
  • Abdel A Alli,
  • Hui-Fang eBao,
  • Douglas C Eaton,
  • He-Ping eMa

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2012.00483
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3

Abstract

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Scanning ion conductance microscope (SICM), which enables high-resolution imaging of cell surface topography, has been developed for over two decades. However, only recently, a unique scanning mode is increasingly used in biological studies to allow SICM to detect the surface of live cells. More recently, in combination with confocal microscopy and patch-clamp electrophysiological techniques, SICM allows investigators to localize proteins or ion channels in a specific nanostructure at the cell surface. This article will briefly review SICM nanotechnique and summarize the role of SICM in biological studies.

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