Direct force measurements of biomolecular interactions by nanomechanical force gauge (original) (raw)

Direct force measurements of biomolecular interactions can be accomplished using a nanomechanical force gauge (NFG) that operates without the need for optical detection common in atomic force microscopes (AFM). The NFG employs an integrated nanoscale single-crystal Si cantilever, allowing direct measurement of lateral deflections with high sensitivity. A practical demonstration includes measuring the dissociation strength between biotinylated beads and streptavidins in a biological solution, highlighting the simplicity and effectiveness of the NFG for studying molecular interactions at the piconewton level.