Sep. 30, 2015

This year’s SYNMarburg Summer School, organized by Prof. Graumann, was themed "From Microbial Cell Biology to Complex Communities". A total of 23 participants from nine countries took the opportunity to learn about cellular and structural biology as well as different microscopic techniques used for synthetic biology. The program was funded by SYNMIKRO and the DAAD.
During the workshop, the FluidFM system featuring its unique hollow cantilevers was used to detach single living Bacillus subtilis cells from the culture substrate and assess the adhesive properties of these single cells. Additionally, the standard AFM capabilities of the FluidFM were used to image single living bacteria and observe flagella extending from the cell body.

Image: AFM phase image recorded simultaneously with the AFM topography. The fine, filamentous structures protruding from the cell bodies are flagella.