Atomic force microscopy allows the determination of both mechanical and adhesive properties of living single cells and generation of high-resolution surface images. Here, we describe a method to determine the Young's modulus of a cell and adhesion between a coated cantilever and a cell, as well as an overview of the analysis of the data obtained. Additionally, we point out typical and important pitfalls during the measurement and analysis.
Keywords: AFM; Adhesion; Atomic force microscopy; Biomechanical properties; Biomechanics; Elasticity; Young’s modulus.