ABSTRACT
Advances in optical technology have led to several interesting approaches to studying cell nanomechanics. This chapter discusses the atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a tool to deliver temporally and spatially controlled localized nanomechanical forces to living mammalian cells while simultaneous optical measurements are performed to image biological responses at the single cell level. Dishes were mounted on the temperature-controlled stage of a simultaneous AFM-fluorescence microscope that was used to deliver precise forces to living cells. The chapter demonstrates the direct visualization of cytoskeletal deformation in response to applied loads from the AFM tip with simultaneous laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). A simultaneous AFM and LSCM was used to acquire confocal stacks before and after the stress-relaxation experiments allowing us to examine the three-dimensional deformation and relaxation of the cytoarchitecture. The utility of simultaneous AFM and optical approaches is only being realized in full detail, and with future technological advancements the applications may be limitless.
