Regensburg 2004 – scientific programme

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O: Oberflächenphysik

O 14: Postersitzung (Adsorption an Oberflächen, Epitaxie und Wachstum, Organische Dünnschichten, Oxide und Isolatoren, Phasenübergänge, Rastersondentechniken, Struktur und Dynamik reiner Oberflächen)

O 14.82: Poster

Monday, March 8, 2004, 18:00–21:00, Bereich C

Micromechanical properties of Tobacco Mosaic Virus studied by AFM — •Nicola Maghelli, Schmatulla Alexander, and Othmar Marti — Abteilung Experimentelle Physik Universitaet Ulm

The morphology of the Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) is well known in spite of its very simple structure, consisting of an helix-arranged protein capside (pitch 2.3 nm, radius 9 nm) for a total length of 282 nm. However, very few is still known about its mechanical properties: by means of a self made atomic force microscope we were able to investigate some basic properties, such as stiffness and E modulus, at single virion level.

Measurements of the viruses (LGC Promochem ATCC PV-135P) were both carried on in air and in liquid environment employing various techniques (tapping mode, pulse force mode). Different substrates (cleaved mica, glass, polycarbonate, gold Fisher pattern) and probe preparations methods (spin coating, critical point drying) have been employed as well as different solvents (DMSO, alcohol, water) when working in liquid environment.

The results give a lower limit to the single virion elasticity and E modulus’s values.