FURI | Spring 2024

Deconvolution of the Mechanical Effects in Atomic Force Microscopy Material Characterization of Living Cells

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has been extensively used to determine the mechanical properties of materials ranging from ceramics to soft living tissue. There is an increasing use of AFM for the characterization of biological structures, which have been developed into new diagnostic techniques. However, the effects of cell size, substrate and inclusion presence on AFM measurements have not been exhaustively investigated. This study aims to understand these effects through Finite Element Analysis of a size varying cell resting on a glass substrate. The result is a relationship between the height of the cell and the indentation depth necessary for accurate measurements.