BIOLOGICAL ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY - WHAT IS ACHIEVED AND WHAT IS NEEDED

Biological atomic force microscopy (AFM) has become a rapidly developi ng interdisciplinary held of research in recent years. Not only has th e technique, including instrumentation and specimen preparation method s, become increasingly sophisticated, but also its applications have e ncompassed a broad range of interesting subjects in biology. In this r eview, we present an extensive overview of the current status of biolo gical AFM, including both the instrumentation and the application of A FM. In addition, we discuss the major problems that have yet to be ful ly resolved and present our analysis of the various factors involved. The published results so far clearly demonstrate the great potential o f AFM in structural research and the ability of AFM to make unique con tributions to our comprehension of various biological processes.