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Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

High quality research in physical chemistry, chemical physics and biophysical chemistry.




Invited Article

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2005, 7, 2859 - 2866, DOI: 10.1039/b506743j


The scanned nanopipette: a new tool for high resolution bioimaging and controlled deposition of biomolecules

Liming Ying, Andreas Bruckbauer, Dejian Zhou, Julia Gorelik, Andrew Shevchuk, Max Lab, Yuri Korchev and David Klenerman


The boundary between the physical and biological sciences has been eroded in recent years with new physical methods applied to biology and biological molecules being used for new physical purposes. We have pioneered the application of a form of scanning probe microscopy based on a scanned nanopipette, originally developed by Hansma and co-workers, for reliable non-contact imaging over the surface of a live cell. We have found that the nanopipette can also be used for controlled local voltage-driven application of reagents or biomolecules and this can be used for controlled deposition and the local delivery of probes for mapping of specific species. In this article we review this progress, focussing on the physical principles and new phenomena that we have observed, and then outline the future applications that are now possible.

Graphical abstract image for this article  (ID: b506743j)