Selective nano-injection using nano-probe based on Nanomanipulation under hybrid microscope

Abstract

This paper presents a novel selective nano-injection method by fluorescent nanoprobe insertion based on Nanomanipulation under hybrid microscope. The hybrid microscope is designed to combine the optical microscope (OM) and environmental-scanning electron microscope (E-SEM) to realize biological specimen analysis by optical imaging including fluorescent imaging, and nano-scale manipulation by E-SEM imaging. Based on the bio-nano manipulation system, we propose a nano-injection method by fluorescent nanoprobe insertion. The fluorescent nanoprobe is needed to observe nanoprobe by OM. The nanoprobe is designed to have a sharp tip to insert the probe into biological specimen. It is fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB) process. The nano-scale size is important for minimal damage to biological specimen. The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is used as a target biological specimen, which is one of the important model organism for diseases analysis. The nanoinjection technique is needed to transport fluorescent materials or specific biological organism into specific cell for in-vivo experiment. The proposed system is considered to be important as future nano-surgery system for life innovation using model organism.