Join us at the XXIV. Linz Winter Workshop 2025, where we delve into the latest advancements in biological single-molecule research, nanoscience, nanomedicine, cell science, and bionanotechnology. This year's workshop will feature special sessions on nanomedicine and high-speed atomic force microscopy.
The goal of this event is to create a collaborative platform for both industry and academia. Park Systems is excited to participate as a Platinum sponsor. Be sure to visit our booth for a live demonstration of our automatic AFM, the Park FX40.
- Date: 31 Jan – 3 Feb, 2025
- Venue: Sommerhotel Julius-Raab-Heim, Linz, Austria
- Booth: tbc
Join our talk on February 2, at 5:30 PM in Session VIII: Correlative Imaging.
Title: Investigating Correlative Properties of Soft Materials with SPM
Presenter: Dr. Alexander Kalsen, Principal Scientist, Park Systems Europe
Co-Author: Dr. Andrea Cerreta, Principal Scientist, Park Systems Europe
Abstract:
Imaging soft materials such as organic compounds and biological systems present unique challenges. The inherently small size of the features of interest requires high-resolution imaging techniques, whose invasiveness must necessarily be limited to avoid damaging the delicate structures soft materials are made of. Also, imaging in different media ranging from ambient to physiological conditions has to be achievable.
Optical microscopy, which is widely used for the characterization of soft samples in combination with other techniques such as fluorescence, can only reach a resolution down to about 200 nm due to the intrinsic diffraction limit of visible light, while radiation with shorter wavelength can damage sensitive organic samples. Moreover, high-resolution methods like electron microscopy require ultra-high vacuum, restricting studies of hydrated systems.
Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods, based on the interaction of a scanning physical probe across the sample surface, provide nm-scale resolution with non-destructing -free imaging across various environments including air, vacuum and physiological buffers. Moreover, the information collected via SPM enables the access to a multitude of local nanomechanical, electrical and other properties together with topography.
This talk will review key SPM modes relevant for investigating soft materials and provide examples from literature. We demonstrate how Park Systems Atomic Force microscopes can be used as a platform to host Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy (SICM), which allows imaging fragile samples without physical contact in aqueous ionic solutions. Furthermore, we showcase the correlative integration of SPM with fluorescence optical microscopy using a Park Systems NX12 and a Nikon fluorescence microscope, demonstrated by recent studies graciously provided by our collaboration partner Dr. Giovanni Longo, Istituto di Struttura della Materia – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy.
Link: https://www.jku.at/institut-fuer-biophysik/veranstaltungen/linz-winterworkshop/