Nano-manipulation of cells and sub-cellular structures

Atsushi Ikai

Laboratory of Biodynamics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta,
Midoriku, Yokohama, Japan

Technologies based on the scanning probe microscopy enables us to mechanically handle molecular processes on the surface and interior of living cells. It offers an exciting new research area covering both basic and applied bio-medical fields. We utilized covalent cross-linkers as well as non-covalent interactions as interfacing handles for such manipulations and found interesting properties of proteins and cells at nanometer levels. Based on basically a similar strategy, we are also developing useful methodologies for artificial reconstruction of cells and sub-cellular organelles. We present recent results of covalent and non-covalent tip-sample interactions on protein and cell surfaces studied by the atomic force microscope.