ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY PRODUCES FAITHFUL HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES OF PROTEIN SURFACES IN AN AQUEOUS ENVIRONMENT

The atomic force microscope has the potential to monitor structural ch anges of a biological system in its native environment. To correlate t hem with the biological function at a molecular level, high lateral an d vertical resolution are required. Here we demonstrate that the atomi c force microscope is capable of imaging the surface of the hexagonall y packed intermediate layer of Deinococcus radiodurans in buffer solut ion with a lateral resolution of 1 nm and a vertical resolution of 0.1 nm. On average, these topographs differ from those determined by elec tron microscopy by <0.5 nm.