Frontiers in Microbial Nanoscopy

Abstract

Progress in nanomedicine relies on the development of advanced tools for imaging and manipulating biological systems on the nanoscale. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques have emerged as a powerful platform for analyzing the structure, properties and functions of microbial pathogens. AFM imaging enables researchers to observe microbial cell walls in solution and at high resolution, and to monitor their remodeling upon interaction with drugs. In addition, single-molecule force spectroscopy analyzes the localization, mechanics and interactions of the individual cell wall constituents, thereby contributing to elucidate the molecular bases of cell adhesion (nanoadhesome) and mechanosensing (nanosensosome). In the future, AFM-based nanoscopy should have an important impact on nanomedicine, particularly for understanding microbe–drug and microbe–host interactions, and for developing new antimicrobial strategies.

Keywords::

• cell adhesion
• cell imaging
• drugs
• microscopy
• pathogens
• single-molecule techniques

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the National Foundation for Scientific Research (FNRS), the Foundation for Training in Industrial and Agricultural Research (FRIA), the Université Catholique de Louvain (Fonds Spéciaux de Recherche), the Région Wallonne, the Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs (Interuniversity Poles of Attraction Programme), and the Research Department of the Communauté Française de Belgique (Concerted Research Action). Yves F Dufrêne and David Alsteens are Senior Research Associate and Research Fellow, resepectively, at the FNRS. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Foundation for Scientific Research (FNRS), the Foundation for Training in Industrial and Agricultural Research (FRIA), the Université Catholique de Louvain (Fonds Spéciaux de Recherche), the Région Wallonne, the Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs (Interuniversity Poles of Attraction Programme), and the Research Department of the Communauté Française de Belgique (Concerted Research Action). Yves F Dufrêne and David Alsteens are Senior Research Associate and Research Fellow, resepectively, at the FNRS. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.