Abstract
Cellular force microscopy (CFM) is a noninvasive microindentation method used to measure plant cell stiffness in vivo. CFM is a scanning probe microscopy technique similar in operation to atomic force microscopy (AFM); however, the scale of movement and range of forces are much larger, making it suitable for stiffness measurements on turgid plant cells in whole organs. CFM experiments can be performed on living samples over extended time periods, facilitating the exploration of the dynamics of processes involving mechanics. Different sensor technologies can be used, along with a variety of probe shapes and sizes that can be tailored to specific applications. Measurements can be made for specific indentation depths, forces and timing, allowing for very precise mechanical stimulation of cells with known forces. High forces with sharp tips can also be used for mechanical ablation of cells with force feedback.
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Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge all those involved in the development of the CFM, as well as those who helped to improve the protocol. Thanks to the helpful support from Optics11 and FemtoTools. We thank Nacho Banderas for the design of the sensor holder, Ralf Equit for building the enclosure, and Dorota Czaplejewicz for helping with the programming. This work was supported by SystemX.ch, the University of Bern and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research.
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Majda, M., Sapala, A., Routier-Kierzkowska, AL., Smith, R.S. (2019). Cellular Force Microscopy to Measure Mechanical Forces in Plant Cells. In: Cvrčková, F., Žárský, V. (eds) Plant Cell Morphogenesis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1992. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9469-4_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9469-4_14
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