Next generation atomic force microscopy for solving problems in biomedicine

Advances in microscopy can change how we see the natural world and repeatedly lead to breakthroughs in biomedicine. Atomic force microscopy provides unique capabilities, being able to image living samples with molecular resolution, in liquid, at room temperature with minimal preparation. However, for biomedical applications it has failed to live up to its potential, arguably because instruments truly optimised for biology have not been developed. We will push each aspect of the microscope towards its theoretical limit to develop a new instrument that can image biomolecules with resolution comparable to structural biology approaches, but in context, under native conditions. These same advances will also allow us to measure the tiny forces that drive living processes. We will use the instrument to help understand pressing biomedical questions including: how bacteria live and how they die through antibiotic attack; how genetic code is read and regulated; how intercellular forces control embryo development.