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How Small Can We Go?

Imaged adapted from Peggio M, Degen CL, 2010

Nothing stopping magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) from eventually unlocking new secrets of the mind.

MRFM has been around for a while but improved fabrication of ultrasensitive force detectors in the last decade has opened the door to eventually being able to capitalize on MRFM's unique capability of imaging nanoscale objects in a non-invasive manner via its intrinsic chemical sensitivity. This could in turn, greatly improve our ability to diagnosis and treat a variety of brain diseases.

For example we know that amyloid plaques play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, but there are different types of them, and each specific type can change a patient's prognosis.

The enhanced use of MRFM in neuroscience can also be forecast because its technical development and installation will be supported by other fields of medicine which can also expect to benefit from replacing microscopic invasive tissue analysis as the gold standard.

In my last newsletter I discussed the potential of Diffraction Enhanced Imaging (DEI). MRFM imaging progress is also on the horizon. With progress being made on multiple fronts of brain imaging I am hopeful that improved understanding of disease states will help us meet the challenge of reducing dementia in a society where living longer is becoming the norm.

The paper I've cited below provides an excellent review of the recent advances in magnetic resonsance force microscopy.

Adolfo Cotter

For more information you can click here:

Peggio M., Degen C.L., Force-detected nuclear magnetic resonance: recent advances and future challenges. Nanotechnology. 21 (2010) 1-137.

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