Spotting and lithography with FluidFM

In cell biology, micropatterning is becoming a widely accepted technique to address cellular behavior at the single-cell level. The ability to guide cell growth by local suppression or stimulation, for example, is beneficial for studying cell growth, for developing cell-based sensors, and for tissue engineering applications. The production of microfabricated biosensors is another application that requires precise placement of biomaterials on a substrate.

FluidFM® technology by Cytosurge enables deposition of (bio)molecules and particles at defined locations with micrometer accuracy and with femtoliter volumes. The closed channel is capable of depositing molecules from a liquid in both air and liquid environment. This enables numerous applications in biomedicine, cell- and microbiology, as well as non-biological nanolithography.


Automated spotting calibration.

Automatically varying back pressure and contact time in a grid-like pattern (3 dots per condition), spot sizes can be quickly optimized.

Lithography using the FluidFM.

Nanosurf logo written in in air with a solution containing approximately 50% glycerol; back pressure 200 mbar.

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Industrial solutions

In addition to our standard products we can design and develop custom-built atomic force microscope systems, stages, and parts. A dedicated team of highly qualified engineers is ready to create the optimal solution for your industrial application. For a first impression of what we can do, have a look at these examples.

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Flex-Axiom — AFM for materials research

By advancing key technologies and designs, Nanosurf has made the Flex-Axiom one of the most versatile and flexible atomic force microscopes ever, allowing a large variety of materials research applications to be handled with ease. Together with the powerful C3000 controller, complex material characterizations are possible.

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Flex-Bio — AFM for biology and life science

A key success factor in life science research is the combination of multiple techniques. With the Flex-Bio, Nanosurf's Bio AFM, you can combine the AFM imaging, spectroscopy and nanomanipulation capabilities of this system with the high-end optical imaging techniques available for inverted microscopes.