We develop instruments at the forefront of nanoscale biology. One of our key strengths is instrumentation for atomic force microscopy (AFM). We pursue two major research axes. On one hand, we develop high-speed AFM to push the current limits of imaging speeds. On the other hand, we work on combined systems where we combine AFM with advanced optical techniques such as super-resolution microscopy.
Components of high speed atomic force microscope including the phothothermal head for small cantilevers, the scanner, and the controller
The openSIM is an add-on designed at LBNI to upgrade conventional microscopes for superresolution imaging. The openSIM has been designed specifically so that it can be 3D printed and built easily by most researchers using a set of instructions.
We have focused development on imaging modalities that are ideally suited to observe living cells with minimal invasiveness using canning Ion Conductance Microscopy (SICM) on the delicate membrane surface of live cells and neuritic processes.