従来のAFMは1画像を撮るのに最短でも30秒はかかり、動く試料を観察できない。我々は1993年頃からAFMを高速化する研究に着手し、微小カンチレバー、高速スキャナー、振動抑制技術、高速性と低侵襲性を両立可能な制御法などを開発し、ようやく2008年頃に実用レベルの高速AFMを完成させた。イメージング研究部門のページに示すように、タンパク質分子が機能動作する様子を手に取るように見えるようになった。

進行中の研究：我々は次世代の高速AFMの開発を進めている。様々な光学技術を高速AFM装置に搭載できるように現状の試料ステージ走査に代わるカンチレバー側を走査する高速AFMの開発を進めている。この開発は既にかなり完成に近づいている。この装置に光ピンセットや超解像蛍光顕微鏡を搭載し、従来不可能であった観察が可能になることを目指している。それにより高速AFMが生命科学研究を革新する技術になることを期待している。また、高速AFMとは異なるが、非接触でイメージングできる走査型イオンコンダクタンス顕微鏡を高速化する研究にも既に着手している。

Selected Publications　

T. Ando, "High-speed atomic force microscopy coming of age", Nanotechnology 23: 062001 (27 pp)  (2012).

K. Igarashi, T. Uchihashi, A. Koivula, M. Wada, S. Kimura, T. Okamoto, M. Penttilä, T. Ando, and M. Samejima, "Traffic jams reduce hydrolytic efficiency of cellulase on cellulose surface", Science 333:1279-1282 (2011).

T. Uchihashi, R. Iino, T. Ando, and H. Noji, "High-speed atomic force microscopy reveals rotory catalysis of rotorless F1-ATPase, Science 333: 755-758 (2011).

N. Kodera, D. Yamamoto, R. Ishikawa, and T. Ando, "Video imaging of walking myosin V by high-speed atomic force microscopy", Nature 468: 72-76 (2010).  (supplementary movies) (supplementary info) (News & View)

M. Shibata, T. Uchihashi, H. Yamashita, H. Kandori, and T. Ando, "Structural changes in bacteriorhodopsin in response to alternate illumination observed by high-speed atomic force microscopy",  Angewande Chemie International edition 50: 4410 –4413 (2011).

P.-E. Milhiet, D. Yamamoto., O. Berthoumieu, P. Dosset, C. Le Grimellec, J.-M.Verdier, S. Marchal, and T. Ando, "Deciphering the structure, growth and assembly of amyloid-like fibrils using high-speed atomic force microscopy", PLos One 5 (11): e13240 (8 pp) (2010).  (Movie S1, Movie S2, Movie S3) (supplementary info)

D. Yamamoto, T. Uchihashi, N. Kodera, H. Yamashita, S. Nishikori, T. Ogura, M. Shibata, and T. Ando, "High-speed atomic force microscopy techniques for observing dynamic biomolecular processes", Methods Enzymol. 475 (Part B): 541-564 (2010).

D. Yamamoto, T. Azuma, T. Uchihashi, H. Sasaki, H. Watanabe, T. Ando, and Y. Fukumori,  "Visualization and structural analysis of the bacterial magnetic organelle magnetosome using atomic force microscopy", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 107: 9382-9387 (2010). (supplementary info) (supplementary movie)

S. Sugimoto, K. Yamanaka, S. Nishikori, A. Miyagi, T. Ando, and T. Ogura, "AAA+ chaperone ClpX regurates dynamics of prokaryotic cytoskeletal protein FtsZ", J. Biol. Chem. 285: 6648-6657 (2010).

M.-C. Giocondi, D. Yamamoto, E. Lesniewska, P.-E. Milhiet, T. Ando, and C. Le Grimellec, "Surface topography of membrane domains", Bioochim. Biophys. Acta.-Biomembranes 1798: 703-718 (2010)

M. Shibata, H. Yamashita, T. Uchihashi, H. Kandori, and T. Ando, "High-speed atomic force microscopy shows dynamic molecular processes in photo-activated bacteriorhodopsin", Nature Nanotechnology 5, 208 - 212 (2010).  (Supplementary Info) (Supplementary Movies) (npg asia materials highlight)

D. Yamamoto, N. Nagura, S. Omote, M. Taniguchi, and T. Ando, "Streptavidin 2D crystal substrates for visualizing biomolecular processes by atomic force microscopy", Biophys. J. 97(8): 2358–2367 (2009).

H. Yamashita, K. Voïtchovsky, T. Uchihashi, S. Antoranz Contera, J. F. Ryan, and T. Ando, "Dynamics of bacteriorhodopsin 2D crystal observed by high-speed atomic force microscopy", J. Struct. Biol. 167: 153-158 (2009).

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10478477 (Supplementary Movie)

T. Ando, T. Uchihashi, and T. Fukuma, "High-speed atomic force microscopy for nano-visualization of dynamic biomolecular processes", Prog. Surf. Sci. 83: 337-437 (2008).

D. Yamamoto, T. Uchihashi, N. Kodera, and T. Ando, "Anisotropic diffusion of point defects in two-dimensional crystal of streptavidin observed by high-speed atomic force microscopy", Nanotechnol. 19: 384009 (9 pp) (2008).  (Supplementary Movie)  

A. Miyagi, Y. Tsunaka, T. Uchihashi, K. Mayanagi, S. Hirose, K. Morikawa, and T. Ando , "Visualization of intrinsically disordered regions of proteins by high-speed atomic force microscopy", Chem. Phys. Chem. 9(13):1859-1866 (2008).  (Supplementary Movies)

T. Fukuma, Y. Okazaki, N. Kodera, T. Uchihashi, and T. Ando, "High resonance frequency force microscope scanner using inertia balance support", Appl. Phys. Lett. 92:243119 (2008).

T. Ando, T. Uchihashi, N. Kodera, D. Yamamoto, M. Taniguchi, A. Miyagi, and H. Yamashita, "Invited Review: High-speed AFM and nano-visualization of biomolecular processes", Pflügers Archiv -Eur. J. Physiol. 456:211-225 (2008). 

T. Ando, T. Uchihashi, N. Kodera, D. Yamamoto, M. Taniguchi, A. Miyagi, and H. Yamashita, "Review: High-speed atomic force microscopy for observing dynamic biomolecular processes", J. Mol. Recognit. 20:448-458 (2007).  

H. Yamashita, T. Uchihashi, N. Kodera, A. Miyagi, D. Yamamoto, and T. Ando, "Tip-sample distance control using photo-thermal actuation of a small cantilever for high-speed atomic force microscopy", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 78:083702 (5 pages) (2007).

T. Uchihashi, H. Yamashita, and T. Ando, "Fast phase imaging in liquids using a rapid scan atomic force microscope.

Appl. Phys. Lett. 89:213112 (3 pages) (2006).

N. Kodera, M. Sakashita, and T. Ando , " Dynamic proportional-integral-differential controller for high-speed atomic force microscopy", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 77(8):083704 (7 pages) (2006).

M. Yokokawa, C. Wada, T. Ando, N. Sakai , A. Yagi, S.H. Yoshimura, and K. Takeyasu , "Fast-scanning atomic force microscopy reveals the ATP/ADP-dependent conformational changes of GroEL", EMBO J. 25:4567-4576 (2006). 

T. Ando, T. Uchihashi, N. Kodera, A. Miyagi, R. Nakakita, H. Yamashita, and M. Sakashita, "High-speed atomic force microscopy for studying the dynamic behavior of protein molecules at work", Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 45(3B):1897-1903 (2006).

T. Uchihashi, N. Kodera, H. Itoh, H. Yamashita, and T. Ando, "Feed-forward control for high-speed AFM imaging of biomolecules", Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 45(3B):1904-1908 (2006).

T. Ando, T. Uchihashi, N. Kodera, A. Miyagi, R. Nakakita, H. Yamashita, and K. Matada, "High-speed AFM for studying the dynamic behavior of protein molecules at work", Surf. Sci. Nanotechnol. 3:384-392 (2005).   (Supplementary Data)

N. Kodera, H. Yamashita, and T. Ando, "Active damping of the scanner for high-speed atomic force microscopy", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 76: 053708 (5pages) (2005). (Supplementary Data)

T. Ando, N. Kodera, Y. Naito, T. Kinoshita, K. Furuta, and Y.Y. Toyoshima, "A high-speed atomic force microscope for studying biological macromolecules in action", Chem. Phys. Chem. 4:1196-1202 (2003).

T. Ando, N. Kodera, D. Maruyama,  E. Takai, K. Saito, and A. Toda, "A High-speed atomic force microscope for studying biological macromolecules in action", Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 41:4851-4856 (2002).

T. Ando, N. Kodera, E. Takai, D. Maruyama,  K. Saito, and A. Toda, "A High-speed atomic force microscope for studying biological macromolecules", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA  98:12468-12472 (2001).