Application of scanning ion conductance microscope in cell characterizations

Cell morphology, electrical and mechanical functions are of great significance in cell biology. However, traditional cell characterization methods are not suitable for study of living cells in a non-invasive, in situ and micro/nano-scaled way. As a new type of scanning probe microscopy, scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) enables non-invasive, high-resolution and real-time imaging of living cells based on its non-contact scanning mode and usage of nanopipette as its probe. In recent years, SICM has been widely applied in cell biology and cell characterizations. This review mainly introduces the SICM applications in cell characterizations. First, we introduce the instrumental composition, working principle and three work modes of SICM, and compare the strengths and weakness of the three working modes. Then the applications of SICM in cell morphology, cellular electrical and mechanical properties are described in detail. In addition, in contrast to the traditional cell characterization methods, SICM has the distinct advantages in in situ characterization of cells. Finally, the challenges of SICM in cell characterizations are discussed and its future development is proposed.