sQube Colloidal AFM Probes

16/03/2026

Using chemically crosslinked bovine-serum albumin (BSA) networks as a model system, Becker et al. show that the same hydrogel can dissipate stress through two distinct regimes depending on protein conformation. Native BSA hydrogels exhibit viscoelastic relaxation, governed by unfolding of protein domains, whereas chemically denatured BSA hydrogels display poroelastic dissipation, dominated by solvent migration through the deformed matrix.
A wide variety of materials were tested in the study, both as experiments as controls. CP-NCH-SiO-D was used for PDMS elastomer samples, while the softer CP-CONT-SiO-D and CP-CONT-SiO-E were used for the softer hydrogels of PAAm and BSA under different conditions.
Read full article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1742706126001224

02/02/2026

Looking to perform colloidal probe experiments on very soft samples in liquid? Check out our CP-qp-SCONT series of products. They are made of a quartz-like material and have a rectangular shape, with a nominal force constant of 0,01 N/m. A partial reflective gold coating is deposited on the free end of the detector side of the AFM cantilever. The main advantages of the coating are the low bending and the reduced drift, particularly for measurements in liquid environments.

https://www.sqube.com/

17/11/2025

In an interesting study, Hailin Fu et al., were able to generate soft 3D structures of milimeter and centimeter scale by controlling supramolecular polymerization and phase separation behavior of a ureidopyrimidinone glycine (UPy-Gly) solution using dextran as a macromolecular crowder.
The solution formed spindle like particles over time, reminiscent of biofilament tactoids. They were observed with AFM among other techniques, and their mechanical properties were assessed with CP-CONT-PM series probes.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07034-7

20/10/2025

We pride ourselves on the variety of products we can provide! You may have noticed we offer colloidal probes based on 6 different cantilevers, 5 different particle materials, each of them available in several different sizes. But we also love trying new things – please get in touch, if you would like to have a custom size or material, or, perhaps, a different cantilever, get in touch with us!
https://www.sqube.com/

15/09/2025

AFM indentation of cells with a colloidal probe is a vital technique for mechanobiology. A key question is the influence of the mechanical properties of the underlying substrate.
Recent work by Moura and Tejedor et al. showed evidence that the rigidity of the stiffness of the underlying substrate influences the force applied to the cells - Evidence of the bottom stiffness effect on atomic force microscopy-based cell mechanobiology - Nanoscale (RSC Publishing) DOI:10.1039/D5NR01236H . This lead cells to appear stiffer when larger force was applied – this effect disappeared when a correction factor was applied.
The experimental portion of the work was carried out with sQube cantilevers from the CP-PNPL-SiO series - https://www.sqube.com/Colloidal-AFM-Probe-CP-PNP-SiO

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2025/nr/d5nr01236h

05/08/2025

Colloidal crystals are the object of many fundamental and applied studies. Their assembly can be done using wet and dry methods. While a fairly large set of wet methods exist, dry assembly is less developed, despite its potential advantages.
Sotthewes et al. recently proposed a novel method for the dry wafer-scale assembly and patterning on non-elastomeric, rigid substrates. The new method is a rubbing-based approach, with a soft elastomeric stamp, that relies on tribocharging and contact mechanics to allow for colloidal particles to assemble into hexagonally close packed arrangements. Crucial to the study was the conclusion that this is dependent on the nanoscale contact mechanics of the stamp.
The required indentation experiments in the study were carried out with our CP-NCH-PM probes by , with a 42 N/m force constant and a polystyrene bead tip. Read the full article here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsami.3c16830

15/05/2025

“Eukaryotic cells show an astounding ability to remodel their shape and cytoskeleton and to migrate through pores and constrictions smaller than their nuclear diameter… Our results contribute to a more comprehensive mechanistic understanding of the complex interplay between confinement, the nucleus, and the cytoskeleton during mesenchymal cell migration.”
Our colloidal AFM probes CP-CONT-PS-B and CP-PNPL-SiO-B with soft AFM cantilevers and small colloidal particles in the range of 3.5 μm help the researchers assess the cell nuclei stiffness and conclude that it can be considered as an elastic object with a Poisson ratio of approx. 0.40.
https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.adm9195

Cells adapt nucleus volume and force generation to effectively migrate through a broad range of spatial confinement.

28/04/2025

Our CP‐qp‐CONT‐BSG‐B colloidal AFM probes are used to assess the stiffness in human and mouse aortic valve tissues in this study on uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind aortic valve stenosis (AVS).
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/JAHA.124.037931

31/03/2025

“Eukaryotic cells show an astounding ability to remodel their shape and cytoskeleton and to migrate through pores and constrictions smaller than their nuclear diameter… Here, we study the mechanics and dynamics of mesenchymal cancer cell nuclei transitioning through three-dimensional compliant hydrogel channels. “
CP-PNPL-SiO-B and CP-CONT-PS-B colloidal AFM probes are used to assess the mechanical properties of the hydrogel and the cell nuclei.

Cells adapt nucleus volume and force generation to effectively migrate through a broad range of spatial confinement.

18/03/2025

Want to learn more about sQube colloidal probes? Meet us today at the GPS 2025 in Anaheim, California at booth 913 where our partners from NanoAndMore USA will gladly assist you!
https://www.sqube.com/

17/03/2025

AFM force relaxation and force-distance curves with sQube colloidal AFM probes help study the poroelastic and viscoelastic properties of soft matter.
“The AFM-based methodology described herein provides a solid framework to draw up a complete characterization of the time-dependent mechanical properties of living matter. Due to the structural complexity of cells and tissues, understanding their energy dissipation mechanisms (related to the experimental conditions) is an essential prerequisite toward quantitative determination of their mechanical responses, by analyzing experimental data with the appropriate theoretical models.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751616124004971