About Us

Bio-AFM and cellular mechanics (BACM) Lab

In our research group, we develop novel protocols for high-resolution imaging, and nanomechanical property characterization of hard substrates (for example, graphene) as well as soft substrates such as biomolecules, proteins, DNA, RNA, and live plant and animal cells using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). We study cellular structures and perform high-resolution imaging, force mapping simultaneously using our (Bio-AFM + fluorescence microscope) combined research instrument/ platform. We developed a generalized biophysical method for determining the single molecule interaction forces and binding kinetics for several relevant ligand receptor interactions or protein-protein interactions by isolating their interactions on live cells using AFM. We also work on finding a better drug delivery vehicle by comparing the most probable rupture force and binding probability for targeting overexpressed receptors/tissue. The nature of our research is inherently multi-disciplinary involving physics, chemistry, biology, basic concepts of biomedical engineering. We are also incorporating machine learning approaches to make AFM data analytics faster. Prediction of 3D structures of protein complexes using a hybrid method (combining AFM based 2.5D high-resolution imaging and geometry aware machine learning approaches) is one of our newest directions.

Learn More!

What's New

Congratulations🎉 to graduate students, Angona Biswas, Jaydeep Rade, Nabila Masud, Md Hasibul on the new journal publication titled 'Conversational LLM-Based Decision Support for Defect Classification in AFM Images' in special issue of IEEE Open Journal of Instrumentation & Measurement.

We are happy to share the news of invited talk by PI, Anwesha Sarkar @IIT Kharagpur, India

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anwesha-sarkar-050981225_i-had-a-great-experience-sharing-our-recent-activity-7349696672404234241-QaxJ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAADiQCvwBqd-QJ4tipBS4b9w15z6tgx4wJ4k

Congratulations🎉🎉to PI, Anwesha Sarkar for receiving CoSPRT grant and COE Equipment grant to bring conductive AFM (C-AFM) to ISU. PI gathered a team around 20 researchers across all departments at ISU back in 2023 December, wrote and submitted COE Equipment grant. With the selection of her proposal, she applied for CoSPRT proposal on Jan 2025 and received the award from VPR.  A huge thanks to the College of Engineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for their continued support for this proposal and equipment cost.

Congratulations🎉🎉to graduate student, Md Hasibul Hasan Hasib for successfully passing his qualifying exam!

Congratulations🎉🎉to PI, Anwesha Sarkar for receiving NSF REU grant to support students in her lab throughout Summer for 3 years starting this year! Please find the details below:

Award Number (FAIN): 2447479

Award Instrument: Standard Grant

Award Date: 12/17/2024

Award Period of Performance:   Start Date: 02/01/2025 End Date: 01/31/2028

Project Title: REU SITE: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Translational Applications of AI to Engineering (REU-TrACE)

Managing Division Abbreviation: OAC

Research and Development Award: Yes

Funding Opportunity: NSF 23-601 Research Experiences for Undergraduates

Assistance Listing Number(s) and Name(s): 47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering (Predominant source of funding for SEFA reporting), 47.083 Office of Integrative Activities 

Graduate students, Nabila Masud, Md Hasibul Hasan Hasib, Angona Biswas, Jaydeep Rade presented in TrAC day 2025.

Congratulations🎉🎉to graduate student, Nabila Masud for getting nominated and recommended to the Graduate College for Research Excellence Award (REA) 2025.

We are so happy to share the following story on graduate student, Nabila Masud: 

https://news.engineering.iastate.edu/2025/03/28/nabila-masud-from-day-one-i-knew-i-was-in-the-right-place/

• PI, Anwesha Sarkar was invited to present in 'Biomechanics seminar series in UCSD MAE department (November 2023)!

https://mae.ucsd.edu/seminar/2023/characterization-nanomechanical-properties-and-single-molecule-interaction-forces-live

• PI, Anwesha Sarkar became Harpole-Pentair Assistant Professor (August 2023)!

• TrAC Seed Grant Proposal “Computational force spectroscopy for prediction of protein-protein interactions” submitted by PI A. Sarkar with co-PIs Ratul Chowdhury and Adarsh Krishnamurthy has been selected for funding.  https://trac-ai.iastate.edu/ 

• PI A. Sarkar got invited for a seminar in Physics Department at Creighton University, Nebraska. https://www.creighton.edu/arts-sciences/faculty/physics-ms 

• Congrats to our graduate Student, Nabila Masud on acceptance of her abstract in IBE conference, April 2023 https://www.ibe.org/meetings/2023-annual-conference

• I am happy to share the following news: OVPR welcomes 26 campus research leaders to 2022-23 cohort. Link!

• Women in Cyclone Engineering: Anwesha Sarkar. Link!

Opportunities

• Highly motivated students (possibly with prior experience with any experimental work) are encouraged to email anweshas@iastate.edu to apply for undergraduate research or graduate research.