Atomic Force Microscopy in Bioengineering Applications

Abstract

The high lateral resolution imaging and its technical versatility in property evaluation, together with the relatively straightforward characterization of viable biological structures in liquid media, render the AFM an unrivaled instrument in the definition of novel structural–functional relationships in bioengineering domains. This chapter provides an overview of the AFM-based techniques employed in the analysis of biological structures and biomaterials.A brief introduction to the working principles of the AFM is followed by a description of application developments. Relevant findings on the structural and functional characterization of biomaterials and biological structures at submicrometric scales are highlighted.