Custom system for single molecule force spectroscopy

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is nowadays a widely distributed imaging technique, able to achieve nanometric resolution on a broad range of samples, from innovative materials to living biological systems. The physical principle underlying the AFM technology is based on the measurement of the interaction force between a sharp tip and the sample, with picoNewton sensitivity. This aspect of AFM was more recently exploited to perform force spectroscopy experiments on single molecules, paving the way for the study of mechanical properties of single proteins and peptides.