PROMISING · HIGH PERFORMANCE ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE FOR IN VITRO BIO-IMAGING

Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is now a common tool for material analysis in both academic and industrial areas because it enables non-destructive high resolution images of nanometric objects. However, the available sensors face strong limitations in liquids, making the use of AFM on living material like proteins or cells still a challenge. Thanks to our breakthroughs in MEMS sensors technology, we propose to extend the AFM potential to in vitro imaging of biological objects. Targeting beyond the academic applications, our goal is to establish a marketable force imaging technique for creating and addressing new instrumentation markets from biology and life sciences to medical analysis. The proof of concept will focus on building a dedicated microscope employing our microsystems probes for demonstrating high performance, user-friendly bio-imaging. The objectives of the present proposal are threefold: (i) verifying the innovation potential of the idea arising from the ERC Starting Grant Project ""SMART"" by pushing a new instrument to a pre-demonstration stage of commercialization, (ii) establishing the viability of the concept and the near term market potential, (iii) clarifying IPR position and market launch strategy. Expected outcomes lie in the consolidation of information and data making possible to take strategic decisions and to put together a reasonable and acceptable development plan.""