Abstract.
The atomic force microscope (AFM) evolved as a standard device in modern microbiological research. However, its capability as a sophisticated force sensor is not used to its full capacity. The AFM turns into a unique tool for quantitative adhesion research in bacteriology by using “bacterial probes”. Thereby, bacterial probes are AFM cantilevers that provide a single bacterium or a cluster of bacteria as the contact-forming object. We present a step-by-step protocol for preparing bacterial probes, performing force spectroscopy experiments and processing force spectroscopy data. Additionally, we provide a general insight into the field of bacterial cell force spectroscopy.
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Thewes, N., Loskill, P., Spengler, C. et al. A detailed guideline for the fabrication of single bacterial probes used for atomic force spectroscopy. Eur. Phys. J. E 38, 140 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2015-15140-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2015-15140-2