Extraction and manipulation of biological specimen combining UV-laser-ablation and atomic-force microscopy

Modern applications in biological research require high-resolution methods allowing the manipulation of biological samples with a precision beyond the resolution limit of light microscopy. For this purpose the atomicforce microscope (AFM) is an appropriate tool. Promising laser-surgery methods for biomedical applications have been developed employing infrared or near-infrared lasers. However, so far only AFM nano extraction as well as UV-laser manipulation, offer straightforward methods to harvest smallest amounts of material from the specimen with nanometre resolution. For the manipulation of biological specimen a combined instrument allowing UV-laser manipulation together with AFM manipulation was developed. A simple but intuitive human machine interface was realized by coupling a standard force feedback joystick to an AFM with integrated UV micro-beam laser unit. As example of use this combined set-up was employed to dissect human metaphase chromosomes with 340-nm cuts optically and 180-nm cuts mechanically.