Which type of microscopy is particularly useful to study the surfaces of live bacteria?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is particularly useful to study the surfaces of live bacteria because it allows imaging at the nanoscale level with high resolution and minimal disruption to the sample. It can provide information on the surface topography, adhesion forces, and mechanical properties of the bacterial cell membrane. SEM and TEM also provide high-resolution imaging, but they require the sample to be fixed and cannot be used to study live cells. Dark-field and bright-field microscopy are useful for observing live cells, but they do not provide sufficient resolution to study the nanoscale features of bacterial surfaces.

Which Type of Microscopy Is Particularly Useful to Study the Surfaces