The contribution of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in microalgae studies: A review

Nanostructure and Nanomechanics of Prorocentrum donghaiense and Their Changes Under Nitrogen Limitation by Atomic Force Microscopy

“…One major advantage of AFM is that it can characterize cells under physiological conditions, which can more accurately reflect the original characteristics of cells (Demir-Yilmaz et al, 2021). Due to the lack of movement ability, diatoms can more easily adhere to the substrate to grow and fix themselves compared with other microalgae equipped with flagella, which avoids the requirements of atomic force microscopy for sample fixation (Gebeshuber et al, 2003).…”

“…Due to the lack of movement ability, diatoms can more easily adhere to the substrate to grow and fix themselves compared with other microalgae equipped with flagella, which avoids the requirements of atomic force microscopy for sample fixation (Gebeshuber et al, 2003). At present, atomic force microscopy in microalgae is mainly used in diatoms (Luis et al, 2017;Demir-Yilmaz et al, 2021). However, there are few reports on atomic force microscopy in the field of red tide algae.…”

“…Directly stretching chromatin with mechanical force can upregulate transcription (Tajik et al, 2016). The instrument can image microalgae cells with nanoscale resolution and probe the nanomechanical properties and nanoadhesive properties of microalgae cells (Demir-Yilmaz et al, 2021). Mechanical factors can play a key role in the response and adaptation of different levels of functions, such as mechanical regulation and transportation, tissue deformation, cell growth and movement, intermolecular interactions, and signal pathways (Cross et al, 2007;Tajik et al, 2016;Bergert et al, 2021).…”

The role of microplastics in microalgae cells aggregation: A study at the molecular scale using atomic force microscopy

“…In addition to high-resolution imaging capacities, down to the nanometer scale, AFM is also a sensitive force machine able to record piconewton level forces, thus making it possible to access the nanomechanical and adhesive properties of samples, as well as their interactions with their environment (Formosa- Dague et al, 2018). In the particular context of microalgae, AFM has been used to understand the morphology, nanostructure, nanomechanics and adhesive behavior of cells (Demir-Yilmaz et al, 2021), but most importantly their interactions with particles or molecules present in their environment (Besson et al, 2019;Demir et al, 2020;Demir-Yilmaz et al, 2021). In FluidFM, a microsized channel is integrated into an AFM cantilever and connected to a pressure controller, thus creating a continuous and closed fluidic conduit that can be filled with a solution or with air, while the tool can be immersed in a liquid environment (Meister et al, 2009).…”

Combining AFM, XPS and chemical hydrolysis to understand the complexity and dynamics of C. vulgaris cell wall composition and architecture

“…For cell wall characterization, such technique has been used notably with yeast cells to measure both the roughness and the rigidity of the cell wall; such measurements brought valuable information to understand the architecture of cell walls [15]. In the microalgae field, AFM has also proven to be an efficient technique to understand microalgae cells, their morphology, their nanomechanical properties, and their response to different conditions such as environmental stress [16].…”