Nanoimaging of food proteins by atomic force microscopy. Part I: Components, imaging modes, observation ways, and research types

Background: Since atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed in 1985, AFM has become an important nanotech tool to analyze the morphological properties and mechanical properties of proteins. In the past three decades, many food scientists used AFM to analyze food proteins and to comprehensively understand the relationship between the structure and the function of food proteins. Scope and approach: This review focuses on the application of food proteins nanoimaging by AFM and contains two parts. In this part I, the technical information of AFM food protein research is summarized and discussed. Firstly, this review introduces the components and imaging modes of AFM imaging. Secondly, this review summarizes the observation ways of AFM imaging for food proteins. Thirdly, this review discussed the research types of AFM nanoimaging for food protein research according to different research needs. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of AFM for food protein nanoimaging are summarized. Key findings and conclusions: This review part I can provide comprehensive technical information of AFM nanoimaging for food protein research to those who are interested to enter this field. As a powerful nanotech imaging tool, AFM has many advantages for food protein research and will undoubtedly be applied to study a growing number of food proteins in the future. AFM has become an important nanotech tool to analyze proteins and many food scientists have used it to analyze food proteins in the past three decades. This review focuses on the application of AFM nanoimaging and contains two parts. In this part I, the AFM components, imaging modes, observation ways, and research types according to different research needs are reviewed and discussed in this part I. The advantages and disadvantages of AFM for food protein nanoimaging are also discussed. The part I of this review provides comprehensive technical information of AFM nanoimaging for food proteins.