UTHealth Atomic Force Microscopy

Overview of Services

  

 

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a noninvasive technique that produces high-resolution topographic images under physiological-like conditions. Scanning can be performed in air or in a liquid environment, allowing imaging of a wide range of samples, from living cells down to single molecules.

AFM is also a powerful tool for studying dynamic processes such as cellular endocytosis of nanovectors and systemic responses to biological events. A major area of interest is determining sample stiffness (Elastic modulus) to assess experimental data. The elasticity of the sample surface can vary between cell/tissue types and change as a function of growth, differentiation, disease, or treatment. In addition, AFM can image non-cellular structures with exceptional detail.

With the recent acquisition of our NanoWizard V AFM (NIH grant 1S10OD036249), we can now perform PeakForce Quantitative Imaging (PFQI), enabling precise measurement of mechanical properties such as stiffness, adhesion, and modulus at every pixel while capturing high-resolution topography.

The core utilizes a NanoWizard V Atomic Force Microscope (JPK, Bruker Nano Inc.) that requires minimal sample preparation. This system is integrated with a Nikon TE2000 inverted optical microscope, enabling simultaneous acquisition of bright-field and fluorescence images of samples under study.

We welcome inquiries from internal, external, and public sector partners. Please contact us for more information.

Leadership

Ana Maria Zaske, PhD        Core Director  Phone: 713-486-5418 Email: Ana.M.Zaske@uth.tmc.edu

Acknowledgement

Please acknowledge the SIG program in your publications by including the following statement:

This work was supported by the NIH Shared Instrumentation Grant S10OD036249‑01A1, which funded the NanoWizard V Atomic Force Microscope used in this study at the AFM Core Facility, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston.

Location and hours of operation

Hours	Location
Monday - Friday             9 am - 5 pm	Internal Medicine, UT-Health 1881 EAST RD, Room 3SCRB6.3728, Houston, TX 77054

Links and Resources

1. Atomic Force Microscopy Core flyer
2. Atomic Force Microscopy Core main webpage

Contacts

Name	Role	Phone	Email	Location
Ana Maria Zaske, PhD	Director	713-486-5418	Ana.M.Zaske@uth.tmc.edu	1881 EAST RD, 3SCRB6.3728, HOUSTON, TX 77054

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