AFM, Patch clamp and fluorescence of living cells: correlation of mechanical and electrical membrane properties at nanoscale.

The main goal of this PhD is to investigate the structure and the dynamic processes at nanoscale in the membrane of living cells. The cellular membrane plays an essential role in biological functions such as cell adhesion, growth, differentiation, neurotransmission, photosynthesis, cellmetabolism and immune response. Thus methods allowing nanoscale resolution imaging of soft, fragile specimens are particularly interesting for membrane biophysics studies. In this doctoral work, scanning probe techniques like scanning ion conductance (SICM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) will be used in combination with optical techniques in order to investigate membrane processes such as nanopore formation ( for instance inelectrical or chemical poration) and protein clustering in adhension processes. The biological model system to be employed in this work is the neuronal membrane in young age states and it will be developed in collaboration with several groups from the Department Sciences (KU Leuven) andIMEC.

Trefwoorden:AFM

Disciplines:Fysica van gecondenseerde materie en nanofysica

Project type:PhD project