January 21st, 2009 | Published in Media Gallery
This image shows a 3D isosurface of fluoresence in a fixed human ephethelial lung cell culture. The lower surface is of the cells and cilia; the upper is the mucus layer above.
January 21st, 2009 | Published in Media Gallery
Three data sets are shown in this AFM image: topography is mapped directly to height, friction is mapped to color, and areas of high adhesion (normal to surface) are circled by contour lines.
October 30th, 2008 | Published in Uncategorized
We announce the 2009 Carolina Workshop on Force Measurement and Manipulation in Biological Microscopy to be held May 12-15, 2009. Come use magnetic tweezers, laser tweezers and atomic force microscopy on live cells, DNA and blood clots. Registration will open on November 15, 2008. Contact Cassandra Houston for more information or go here for a brief description.
October 27th, 2008 | Published in Uncategorized
Our new website is available to the world as of Oct. 27, 2008.
September 9th, 2003 | Published in Media Gallery
This is a movie of a TEM simulation of curved single wall nanotube being moved over an amorphous carbon background. It runs at 12 fps.
This is a longer version of the same movie. Both movies were made using a graphics-hardware-accelerated simulator produced by David Borland as part of our accelerated microscope simulation and analysis work. The curved nanotube shown in the video is moved by hand using a 6-degree-of-freedom manipulation device while the background thickness is adjusted. The combined background + tube simulation is run at 12 frames/second.
July 25th, 2003 | Published in Media Gallery
In this clip, we start with a NanoRod flat on the substrate, and are able to use the magnets to get the rod to stand up vertically on the coverslip. We then apply an orbitting voltage, and watch the rod’s tip move in a square-like orbit.
July 25th, 2003 | Published in Media Gallery
This clip starts with a bead being positioned near a nanorod using a laser trap. Then, an orbit is applied to the rod using the magnets of the 3DFM and it starts to beat. A flow in the CCW direction is created, and the bead can be seen to flow around the rod. Then, the beat frequency is doubled, and the bead’s orbital radius increases.
September 16th, 2002 | Published in Media Gallery, Uncategorized
A fanciful view inside a cell intended to show the concept of the 3DFM. It starts with a view of several microtubules and follows the motion of a bead along one of them. As it zooms in, we can see a representation of a kinesin walking its way along the microtubule, carrying the bead. Using the 3DFM, we hope to be able to track, stall, and measure the forces on kinesin and other motor proteins as they perform their duties within living cells.
September 16th, 2002 | Published in Media Gallery
We observe a magnetic bead with a 4.4-micron diameter being pulled around by the four poles of the initial “”Betty”" setup of our 3DFM. The bead is in a corn-syrup solution with a calibrated viscosity of 86 centiPoids. The video shows two complete orbits of the bead, as it is pulled towards each magnet in turn.
September 1st, 2002 | Published in Media Gallery
Very low magnification video of cultured ciliated airway cells grown in the CISMM cell culture facility. The cilia begin to beat in a coordinated manner that has the effect of moving the media, particles and mucous secreted by the cells in a circle around the culture well. These were first demonstrated by Hirotoshi Matsui and colleagues at the UNC Cystic Fibrosis Center. We use these “hurricanes” to find cultures with good ciliary function.