(Left) The Cypher VRS1250. (Right) The degradation of a lipid bilayer by an antimicrobial peptide was monitored by Cypher VRS1250 video-rate AFM imaging at 28 fps. The peptide degrades the lipid molecules, eating away the bilayer patch from the inside out. Here, we show just 6 of the over 12,000 image frames collected during the experiment. Image credit: Oxford Instruments
Twice as fast as the first-generation Cypher VRS, the new AFM enables scan rates up to 1250 lines/second and frame rates up to 45 frames/second. This new higher speed will enable researchers to capture nanoscale details of dynamic events that were previously inaccessible, including biochemical reactions, 2D molecular self-assembly, and etch and dissolution processes and more. The Cypher VRS1250 is unique among high-speed AFM’s in that it can also support a full range of modes and accessories, not just high-speed imaging, which makes it a very versatile tool for large interdisciplinary research groups and shared imaging facilities with multiple projects.