Volume 46, Issue 10-11 p. 851-855
ECASIA special issue paper

Quantitative imaging of diatoms by PeakForce atomic force microscopy

M. Lamczyk,

Labsoft K. Herman, Wantule St. 12, 02-828 Warsaw, Poland

Search for more papers by this author
L. Kawelski,

Labsoft K. Herman, Wantule St. 12, 02-828 Warsaw, Poland

Search for more papers by this author
T. Noga,

School of Biology and Agriculture, University of Rzeszow, Cwiklinskiej St. 2, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland

Search for more papers by this author
J. Stanek-Tarkowska,

School of Biology and Agriculture, University of Rzeszow, Cwiklinskiej St. 2, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland

Search for more papers by this author
I. Berezovska,

Department of Computer Science, Ternopil National Technical University, 56 Ruska St., Ternopil, 46001 Ukraine

Search for more papers by this author
N. Berchenko,

Center for Microelectronics and Nanotechnology, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1 St., 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland

Search for more papers by this author
M. Parlinska-Wojtan,

Center for Microelectronics and Nanotechnology, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1 St., 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland

Search for more papers by this author
J. Cebulski,

Corresponding Author

Center for Microelectronics and Nanotechnology, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1 St., 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland

Correspondence to: J. Cebulski, Center for Microelectronics and Nanotechnology, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1 St., 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland.

E-mail: cebulski@ur.edu.pl

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 18 March 2014
Citations: 1

Paper published as part of the ECASIA 2013 special issue.

Abstract

A novel approach to study nanomechanical properties such as deformation, adhesion or Young's modulus is presented for freshwater diatoms having sizes ranging from tens to hundreds of micrometers. Changes occurring in the environment, such as water acidity or temperature variations, have an impact on the diatoms population, as they can cause the death of certain species favoring simultaneously the growth of another. The nanomechanical properties were measured by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) in a unique PeakForce tapping (PFT) mode. The observed changes of the Young's modulus measured in the frustule of Cyclotella meneghini diatom were in the range of 7–25 GPa, clearly confirming that, in this part of the diatom, degeneration occurs. The use of the PFT mode in the AFM allowed also for measuring the surface of diatoms exhibiting a very developed topography. This is a new methodology for quantitative measurements of nanomechanical properties allowing to monitor environmental changes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.