Department of Biomedical Engineering AFM-based Approaches to Study Nanoscale Structural and Mechanical Properties of Biomacromolecules and Cells Fernando Teran Arce, PhD Assistant Project Scientist Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering University of California at San Diego Spring 2015 Seminar Series KEATING BUILDING, Room 103 12 PM, Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Abstract: Nanoscale structures, including cell membranes, ion channels and cell filaments define and modulate the activity of biological systems. Their study is complex, requiring multidisciplinary efforts and appropriate technology to study their structure and mechanical properties. It is thus necessary to possess appropriate visualization and force-sensing techniques capable of operating in the native environments and length-scales of biological macromolecules. Because of its ability to operate as a conventional microscope with nanoscale resolution in physiological environments, as well as measuring forces over several orders of magnitude, the atomic force microscope (AFM) has become an important research tool in the biological sciences. Using specific examples from biomedicine, materials science and microbiology, I will illustrate the capabilities of the technique and present strategies for its further development. I will discuss the contributions of AFM, in concert with complementary techniques, to our understanding of: i) pathological nanostructures in neurodegenerative diseases, ii) changes in the mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton of endothelial cells in relation to pulmonary injury, and iii) adhesion of diatoms to fouling-release coatings relevant to marine biofouling. To finalize, I will describe new strategies to: i) use AFM to simultaneously measure the structure and electrical activity of macromolecules in lipid membranes, ii) expand the force sensitivity of AFM using plasmonic nanoparticles embedded in the evanescent field of optical waveguides and iii) develop a technique to detect multiple receptor targets using conjugated short DNA strands. Sponsored by: The Depts. of Biomedical Engineering & College of Medicine For additional information contact: Cecilia Lopez, 621-0780