Functionalized Nano-Robot End Effector for in situ Sensing and Manipulation of Biological Specimen

Atomic force microscopy is a powerful and widely used imaging technique that can visualize single molecules both in air and solution. Using the AFM tip as the end effector, it can be modified into a nano-robot which can manipulate objects in nanoscale. By functionalizing the nano-robot end effector with antibodies, atomic force microscopy is able to identify specific types of receptors on cells’ membrane in an image much as fluorescent tags do in optical microscopy but with higher resolution. After the single receptors have been identified, it becomes possible to manipulate these biological macromolecules in their physiological environment. This new technology open a promising way to study the function of biological macromolecules individually.