Atomic Force Microscopy

Studying biology at the nanoscale

Overview

We have pioneered the use of AFM in studying immune cells. Our research has focused on: 

Delivering molecular signals to single, live cells, with controlled force

Featured publications:

  • Hu KK, Bruce MA, Butte MJ. Spatiotemporally and mechanically controlled triggering of mast cells using atomic force microscopy. Immunol Res. 58(2-3):211-7 (May 2014). PMID: 24777418.

 

Measuring beating cardiomyocytes

Featured publications:

  • Ge X, Wang IE, Toma I, Sebastiano V, Liu J, Butte MJ, Reijo Pera R, Yang PC. Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cell-derived induced pluripotent stem cells may generate a universal source of cardiac cells. Stem Cells and Development. 2012 Oct 10;21(15):2798-808. doi: 10.1089/scd.2011.0435. Epub 2012 Jun 11. PMID 22530853.
  • Sun N, Yazawa M, Navarrete EG, Sanchez-Freire V, Hu S, Wang L, Han L, Lee A, Abilez OJ, Pavlovic A, Liu J, Hajjar RJ, Dolmetsch RE, Butte MJ, Ashley EA, Longaker MT, Robbins RC, Wu JC. Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell as A Model for Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Science Translational Medicine, 2012 Apr 18;4(130):130ra47. PMID 22517884.
  • Liu J, Sun N, Bruce MA, Wu JC, Butte MJ. Atomic Force Mechanobiology of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes. PLoS ONE, 7(5):e37559. Epub 2012 May 18. PMID 22624048.
  • Wang IN, Wang X, Ge X, Anderson J, Ho M, Ashley E, Liu J, Butte MJ, Yazawa M, Dolmetsch RE, Quertermous T, Yang PC Apelin enhances directed cardiac differentiation of mouse and human embryonic stem cells. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7(6): e38328. Epub 2012 Jun 1. PMID 22675543.

 

Measuring the elastic modulus and viscoelasticity of biomimetic hydrogels

Featured publications:

  • Serpooshan V, Zhao M, Metzler S, Weo K, Shah, PB, Wang, A, Mahmoudi M, Malkovskiy AV, Rajadas J, Butte MJ, Bernstein D, Ruiz-Lozano, P (2014). Use of bio-mimmetic 3D technology in therapeutics for heart disease. Bioengineered, 5(3), 0-1 (2014). PMID: 24637710.
  • Serpooshan V, Wei K, Zhao M, Metzler SA, Shah PB, Wang A, Mahmoudi M, Butte MJ, Bernstein D, Ruiz-Lozano P. Bioengineered Acellular Collagen Patch Attenuates Cardiac Remodeling and Improves Ventricular Function post Myocardial Infarction. Biomaterials. 34.36: 9048-9055 (2013). PMID: 23992980.
  • Wei K*, Serpooshan V*, Metzler SE, Zhao M, Shah PB, Kim PJ, Savtchenko A, Wang A, Diez-Cunado M, Cai W, Wei K, Spiering S, Zhu W, Butte MJ, Yang P, Bernstein D, Mercola M, Ruiz-Lozano P. Engineered Epicardium Activates Cardiac Regeneration. In press, Nature (2015).

 

Improving our understanding of exosomes and microvesicular particles

Featured publications:

  • Kanada M, Bachmann MH, Hardy JW, Bronsart L, Wang A, Frimannson DO, Sylvester MD, Schmidt TL, Kaspar RL, Butte MJ, Matin AC, Contag CH. Differential fates of biomolecules delivered to target cells via extracellular vesicles. PNAS. 112.12 (2015): E1433-E1442.

 

Development of advanced AFM technologies for rapidly measuring cells

Featured publications:

  • Vijayraghavan K, Wang A, Solgaard O, Butte MJ, Melosh NA. Measurement of Elastic Properties in Fluid Using High Bandwidth AFM Probes. Applied Physics Letters, 102, 103111 (2013).
  • Vijayraghavan K, Gellineau AA, Wang A, Butte MJ, Melosh NA, Solgaard O. Modeling, design, and fabrication of a high bandwidth AFM probe for imaging in air and water. J. Micromechanical Systems. 22(3):603-612. Jun 2013.
  • Wang A, Vijayraghavan K, Solgaard O, Butte MJ. Fast Stiffness Mapping of Cells Using High-Bandwidth Atomic Force Microscopy. Submitted.