ABSTRACT

Biologically templated materials differ considerably from their more traditional counterparts in both their properties as well as in the way they are fabricated. They are generally constructed by exploiting self-assembly properties intrinsic to many biological molecules, are organized hierarchically, and feature highly non-uniform properties at the lengthscales of nanometers. One of the many challenges facing the development of such materials is the understanding of their assembly processes, which in turn requires sophisticated 54tools for studying their properties at relevant length and timescales. Within the context of biologically templated materials, arguably the atomic force microscope (AFM) is the tool of choice, due to its versatility, spatial and temporal resolutions, and ability to manipulate directly biomolecular complexes.

This chapter aims to give an introduction to the underlying mechanics of the AFM and how the direct interaction of a physical probe can be utilized to extract meaningful topographical and mechanical quantities from biological components and bionanomaterials. This background theory is related directly to the ascertainable spatial resolutions, providing insight to systems such as the spatial addressing of DNA nano-architectures with the E. coli protein Recombinase A (RecA). More recent developments, enabling exquisite force sensitivity and improved spatiotemporal resolutions, are discussed and examined in relation to nano-mechanical characterization and real-time observations of biological interactions. Finally, the characteristics of the AFM are related to the direct construction of nano-materials, highlighting the AFM as a versatile nano-manipulator.