Atomic force microscopy to elucidate how peptides disrupt membranes

Atomic force microscopy is an increasingly attractive tool to study how peptides disrupt membranes. Often performed on reconstituted lipid bilayers, it provides access time and length scales that allow dynamic investigations with nanometre resolution. Over the last decade, AFM studies have enabled visualisation of membrane disruption mechanisms by antimicrobial or host defence peptides, including target malignant cells biofilms. Moreover, emergence high-speed modalities technique broadens scope kinetics as well imaging peptide action live in real time. This review describes methodological advances facilitate new insights into mechanisms.