Autori: Filimon M. and Anderighi M.

Editorial: JOAM, 9, p.1587-1591, 2007.

Rezumat:

The design of biocompatible synthetic surfaces is an important issue for medical applications. Surface modification
techniques provide good approaches to control the interactions between living systems and implanted materials [1]. A
similar approach can be used to investigate protein unfolding. The aim of our work is study a particular biocompatibility
system: we have used chemical deposition of proteins (HSA-human serum albumin) over a silicon surface functionalized
with a SAM (self-assemble monolayer). In fact, the microscope was used first in force curve mode for check if the SAM was
effectively bonded to the surface, and after to imagine the protein bonded over the silicon sample. Both contact mode and
tapping mode were performed during our analysis. In the present communication we report the preliminary results of an
investigation aimed at exploiting atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure the forces involved in the unfolding of proteins
adsorbed on functionalized surfaces.

Cuvinte cheie: AFM, HSA, functionalized surfaces