Nanoscale bioelectrical characterization

Dr. Gomila, Gabriel
Group Leader


Ed. Hèlix | Baldiri Reixac, 15-21 | 08028 | Barcelona
Email : ggomilaibecbarcelona.eu

Research Topics

Direct and Alterning Current sensing Atomic Force Microscopy in air and liquids / Conducting probes and sample holders for electrical characterization in liquid environment / Single receptor ligand-binding processes in olfactory receptors and bacteriorhodopsin / Supramolecular organization of native biological membranes

The main goal of our research line is to develop experimental setups based on atomic force microscopy and theoretical frameworks enabling us to measure and understand the electrical properties of biological samples at the nanoscale (for example, biomembranes, single biomolecules and single cells). Our broader objective is to contribute to the development of new label-free biological characterization methods and of electronic biosensors.

Nanoscale electrostatic manipulation of 25 nm radius gold nanoparticles on a graphite substrate by means of
an atomic force microscope.

During 2010 we completed the instrumental and theoretical investigation aimed at developing a measuring system based on electrostatic force microscopy able to quantify the dielectric properties of biomembranes supported on any kind of supporting substrate (conductor or insulator). We have also completed the work regarding the three dimensional electrostatic manipulation of nanoparticles. Ongoing work includes the analysis of the nanoscale dielectric properties of single bacteria and of nanoscale vesicles carrying olfactory receptors, the latter for use in an artificial electronic olfactory biosensor. Work is also in progress for the extension of the different measuring systems to work in physiological environments for functional studies.

Electrostatic force distance approach curves on various insulator materials (glass, mica, PEN, PMMA) demonstrating the capability of the technique to distinguish the nanoscale dielectric properties of the different materials. Symbols: experimental measurements. Continuous line: theoretical fitting.

• Dr. Gabriel Gomila | Group Leader
• Dr. Laura Fumagalli | Senior Researcher
• Dr. Annalisa Calò | Postdoctoral Researcher
• Aurora Dols-Pérez | PhD Student
• Daniel Esteban Ferrer | PhD Student
• Georg Gramse | PhD Student

Former Members

• Dr. Martin Edwards | Postdoctoral Researcher
  Now: Postdoc, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Dols-Pérez, A., Fumagalli, L., Cohen-Simonsen, A. & Gomila, G. (2011). Ultrathin Spin-Coated Dioleoylphosphatidylcholine Lipid Layers in Dry Conditions: A Combined Atomic Force Microscopy and Nanomechanical Study. Langmuir, 27(21), 13165–13172.
• Toset, J. & Gomila, G. (2010). Three-dimensional manipulation of gold nanoparticles with electro-enhanced capillary forces. Applied Physics Letters, 96(4), 043117-3.
• Fumagalli, L., Gramse, G., Esteban Ferrer, D., Edwards, M. & Gomila, G. (2010). Quantifying the dielectric constant of thick insulators using electrostatic force microscopy. APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 96(183107).
• Fumagalli, L., Ferrari, G., Sampietro, M. & Gomila, G. (2009). Quantitative Nanoscale Dielectric Microscopy of Single-Layer Supported Biomembranes. Nano Letters, 9(4), 1604-1608.
• Gramse, G., Casuso, I., Toset, J., Fumagalli, L. & Gomila, G. (2009). Quantitative dielectric-constant measurement of thin films by DC electrostatic force microscopy. Nanotechnology, 20, 395702.
• Fumagalli, L., Toset, J. & Gomila, G. (2008). Nanoscale capacitance microscopy of thin dielectric films. Journal of Applied Physics, 104(024315).
• Fumagalli, L., Casuso, I., Ferrari, G. & Gomila, G (2008). Probing Electrical Transport Properties at the Nanoscale by Current-Sensing Atomic Force Microscopy. In Avouris, Phaedon, Bhushan, Bharat, Bimberg, Dieter et al (editors), Applied Scanning Probe Methods VIII. Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
• Casuso, I., Fumagalli, L., Gomila, G. & Padrós, E. (2007). Nondestructive thickness measurement of biological layers at the nanoscale by simultaneous topography and capacitance imaging. Applied Physics Letters, 91(6), 063111.
• Toset, J., Casuso, I., Samitier, J. & Gomila, G. (2007). Deflection–voltage curve modelling in atomic force microscopy and its use in DC electrostatic manipulation of gold nanoparticles. Nanotechnology, 18(1), 015503.
• Casuso, I., Fumagalli, L., Samitier, J., Padrós, E., Reggiani, L., Akimov, V. & Gomila, G. (2007). Electron transport through supported biomembranes at the nanoscale by conductive atomic force microscopy. Nanotechnology, 18, 5503-+.
• Fumagalli, L., Ferrari, G., Sampietro, M. & Gomila, G. (2007). Dielectric-constant measurement of thin insulating films at low frequency by nanoscale capacitance microscopy. Applied Physics Letters, 91(24), 243110+.
• Casuso, I., Fumagalli, L., Samitier, J., Padrós, E., Reggiani, L., Akimov, V. & Gomila, G. (2007). Nanoscale electrical conductivity of the purple membrane monolayer.. Physical Review E - Statistical, Nonlinear and Soft Matter Physics, 76(4 Pt 1), 041919.
• Fumagalli, L., Ferrari, G., Sampietro, M., Casuso, I., Martínez, E., Samitier, J. & Gomila, G. (2006). Nanoscale capacitance imaging with attofarad resolution using ac current sensing atomic force microscopy. Nanotechnology, 17(18), 4581-4587.
• Dols-Pérez, A., Fumagalli, L., Cohen-Simonsen, A. & Gomila, G. Ultrathin Spin-Coated Dioleoylphosphatidylcholine Lipid Layers in Dry Conditions: A Combined Atomic Force Microscopy and Nanomechanical Study. Langmuir, 27(21), 13165–13172.

Projects

• Nanotools and nanotechniques for bioelectric studies in single bacteria cells-ELECTROBACTERIA (2011-2013, TEC2010-16844, MICINN Funding)

  Gabriel Gomila

• European network on applications of Atomic Force Microscopy to NanoMedicine and Life Sciences-AFM4NanoMed&Bio (2010-2015, COST Action TD1002, EU Funding)

  Gabriel Gomila (Management Committee Substitute Member)

• BOND: Bioelectronic Olfactory Neuron Device (2009-2013) (FP7-NMP, EU Funding) Gabriel Gomila (Technical Manager and WP leader)

Collaborations

• Prof. Adam Cohen Simonsen Department of Physics and Chemistry, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark


• Prof. Jose L. Carrascosa Department of Structure of Macromolecules, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Spain


• Prof. Joan Bausells Centro Nacional de Microelectrónica de Barcelona-CSIC (France).


• Prof. Edith Pajot-Augy Neurobiologie de l’olfaction et la prise alimentaire, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Jouy-en-Josas (France).


• Dr. Manel Puig Departament d’Electrònica, University of Barcelona (Spain).


• Prof. Marco Sampietro Laboratorio di Strumentazione Analogica e Materiali Polimerici, Politecnico di Milano, Italy


• Dr. Adriana Gil Nanotec Electronica S.L., Madrid, Spain


• Prof. Lino Reggiani National Nanotechnology Laboratory, Universita del Salento, Lecce, Italy

• Portable electrochemical interface and impedance analyser (Ivium Technologies, CompactStat)
• Digital lock-in amplifier (Zurich Instruments HF2LI)
• Two digital 4-phase Lock-In amplifiers (Anfatec eLockIn204)
• Two Atomic Force Microscopes fully customized for DC and AC electric current and electrostatic force detection (Nanotec Electronica S.L.)
• Sub-femtoAmp remote sourcemeter (Keithley 6430)
• Optical Microscope (Zeiss AxioImager)
• Atomic Force Microscope for imaging and electrostatic force detection (Nanosurf easyScan 2)

13/03/2009

New technique to study the electrical activity of the cellular membrane

Gabriel Gomila and Laura Fumagalli, from the Nanoscale bioelectrical characterization line at IBEC, are two of the authors of the study.