Measuring ventral nerve cord stiffness in live flat-dissected Drosophila embryos by atomic force microscopy

Abstract

Summary: Drosophila is an amenable system for addressing the mechanics of morphogenesis. We describe a workflow for characterizing the mechanical properties of its ventral nerve cord (VNC), at different developmental stages, in live, flat-dissected embryos employing atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM is performed with spherical probes, and stiffness (Young’s modulus) is calculated by fitting force curves with Hertz’s contact model.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Karkali et al. (2022). : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Keywords

• Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
• Developmental biology
• Model Organisms
• Neuroscience