Bio Atomic Force Microscope - Project Summary The instrument requested is an Asylum Research MFP-3D-Bio Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) from Oxford Instruments mounted on a new Olympus IX73 inverted fluorescent microscope into one integrated system to be located at Michigan Tech. An AFM is extremely versatile equipment that can measure nanoscale topography, force between different tip chemistry and a sample, and mechanical properties with nanoindentation. When combined with a microscope, cells and other micron-size objects can be visualized and precise locations on cells can be probed with AFM and simultaneously capture either brightfield or fluorescence microscopic images, thus the integrated system is called a Bio-AFM. Michigan Tech has the expertise and facilities for training, data analysis, and complex analysis using the AFM from researchers and technical staff. The Bio-AFM will provide three main advantages that are not available in the AFM equipment currently at Michigan Tech: with the addition of a microscope and heated stage (i.e. petri dish heater with environmental control), cells can now be used in conjunction with the measurement capabilities of the AFM; the BSL-2 cleaning protocols that will be implemented around the Bio-AFM and the isolation in one room will allow a larger range of biomolecules to be studied; and the z-extender will allow for pulling experiments of proteins and polymers for expanded experimental capability. These additional accessories are what propel this instrument to be of extreme use to NIH funded researchers on campus. The researchers will explore how cells move and cancer metastasizes on different biomaterials, how metabolism of different sugars and metabolites can affect cell morphology and elasticity, and how viruses change structure and have different chemical properties during inactivation and manufacturing. The large, proposed user base demonstrates the excitement this instrument has garnered at Michigan Tech and another regional university. We want Michigan Tech to become a regional hub for instrumentation, facilities, and expertise in biomedical research. By bringing together these things in the rural upper mid-west, we can leverage our unique location, diverse portfolio of research, and our diverse student body, many who come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, to provide a vibrant location for biomedical training. This Bio-AFM at Michigan Tech will help NIH to increase the diversity of trainees, as well as diversity in thought in ways to apply the instrument to biomedical research.
