 | A Senior Fellow with IPRI, Dr Michael Higgins, gives a demonstration ... A Senior Fellow with IPRI, Dr Michael Higgins, gives a demonstration of live cell imaging using a combined Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Inverted Optical Microscope. The instrument allows probing of living cells with nanometer resolution and was recently acquired by IPRI for research in nanobionics |
New Atomic Force Microscope peeks into the world of nanobionics
28 Aug 2008 | Kate McIlwain
The continued development of Atomic Force Microscopy – a technique that enables individual atoms to be “visualised” – is a critical element of nanotechnology.
“It is one thing to build nanostructures and use them in areas such as medical bionics, but to probe and visualise the nanodomain is then critical,” Executive Research Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science and Director of the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI), Professor Gordon Wallace said.
IPRI has recently acquired, installed and adapted an Atomic Force Microscope that can image and measure forces of single living cells with nanometre resolution.
“The effect of electrically stimulating the new electromaterials developed by IPRI to influence cell growth can now be visualised at the nanodomain,” Professor Wallace said.
About 100 scientists from Australia and overseas are gathering at UOW’s Innovation Campus today (28 August) and tomorrow to explore the scientific advances occurring in this area.
An advance demonstration of the Atomic Force Microscope was conducted yesterday at the Faculty of Engineering before the microscope is eventually moved to its permanent home on the Innovation Campus.
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