Atomic force microscopy is a rather new type of nano microscopic technology. It has some advantages, such as high resolution (sub-nano scale); avoidance of special sample preparation; real-time detection of samples under nearly physiological environment; in situ study of samples under water environment; feasibility of investigating physical and chemical properties of samples at molecular level, etc. In recent years, the application of atomic force microscopy in protein study has brought about outstanding achievements. In this paper are introduced the principle and operation modes of atomic force microscopy, also presented are its application in protein imaging, adsorption, folding-and-unfolding, assembly, and single molecular recognition. Additionally, the future application of atomic force microscopy in protein study is prospected.
Animals ; Humans ; Microscopy, Atomic Force ; Protein Conformation ; Protein Folding ; Protein Unfolding ; Proteins ; chemistry ; ultrastructure