AFM imaging-force spectroscopy combination for molecular recognition at the single-cell level

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018Molecular recognition at the single-cell level is an increasingly important issue in Biomedical Sciences. With atomic force microscopy, cell surface receptors may be recognized through the interaction with their ligands, inclusively for the identification of cell-cell adhesion proteins. The spatial location of a specific interaction can be determined by adhesion force mapping, which combines topographic images with local force spectroscopy measurements. Another valuable possibility is to simultaneously record topographic and recognition images (TREC imaging) of cells, enabling the mapping of specific binding events on cells in real time. This review is focused on recent developments on these molecular recognition approaches, presenting examples of different biological and biomedical applications.This work was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia – Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT-MCTES, Portugal) projects PTDC/BBB-BMD/6307/2014 and PTDC/BBB-BQB/3494/2014.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Common Strategies and Technologies for the Ecosafety Assessment and Design of Nanomaterials Entering the Marine Environment

The widespread use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in a variety of technologies and consumer products inevitably causes their release into aquatic environments and final deposition into the oceans. In addition, a growing number of ENM products are being developed specifically for marine applications, such as antifouling coatings and environmental remediation systems, thus increasing the need to address any potential risks for marine organisms and ecosystems. To safeguard the marine environment, major scientific gaps related to assessing and designing ecosafe ENMs need to be filled. In this Nano Focus, we examine key issues related to the state-of-the-art models and analytical tools being developed to understand ecological risksand to design safeguards for marine organisms