Modelling and characterisation of mechanical behaviour of adherent cells in AFM indentation

A single living biological cell is small in scale, but complex in structure. Various achievements have been fulfilled by microinjection process: injecting external particles at nanoscale into the living cells. This study investigates mechanical responses of biological cells being indented by atomic force microscope, from the cell’s deformation to the cell membrane disruption. The interactions between the living cell and the indenting probe are described by novelistically established models, and validated by experiments. The models established in this study illustrate the complex mechanical structure of the cell, furthering the understanding of the mechanical behaviour of the single cell during microinjection.