Bernard Lim, MD, MRCP, PhD
Mayo Clinic of College Medicine
Rochester, MN

Thursday, January 24, 2008
4:00PM in 116 DeBartolo
*Tea at 3:30 in 257 Hurley*

Atomic Force Microscopy of Blood Coagulation Proteins

Fibrin clot structure is associated with a heart attack, the biggest killer in the Western world. A fibrin clot with thin, tightly packed fibers and small pores is associated with decreased fibrinolysis and poorer clinical outcome. However, data on fibrin clot structure is based on electron microscopy (EM) of fixed clots formed under in-vitro, static conditions and may not be representative of clots under physiological conditions. Data is lacking on clots formed under dynamic in-vivo conditions. The atomic force microscope (AFM) allows imaging of biological samples with sub-molecular resolution without fixation or processing. The AFM is also capable of quantifying intermolecular forces to a resolution in the piconewton range. An overview of the utility of the atomic force microscope in quantifying the in-vivo ultrastructure and mechanical properties of a fibrin clot will be presented.