Implement Structure Imaging Page

src/components/navbar/NavBar.vue

@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ const tree: Tree[] = [
             name: 'Docking of Alginate Lyase and Alpha-Amylase',
             url: '/future-directions/aa-docking'
           },
+          {
+            name: 'Structure Imaging',
+            url: '/future-directions/structure-imaging'
+          },
           {
             name: 'Liposome Formation Using Octahedron',
             url: '/future-directions/octahedron-liposome-formation'

src/router/index.ts

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const GroupBView = () => import('@/views/lab-validation/GroupBView.vue')
 const GroupCView = () => import('@/views/lab-validation/GroupCView.vue')
 const OctadedronFormation = () => import('@/views/lab-validation/OctahedronFormation.vue')
 const AADocking = () => import('@/views/future-directions/AADocking.vue')
+const StructureImaging = () => import('@/views/future-directions/StructureImaging.vue')
 const OctahedronLiposomeFormation = () =>
   import('@/views/future-directions/OctahedronLiposomeFormation.vue')
 const NotFoundView = () => import('@/views/NotFoundView.vue')
@@ -72,6 +73,11 @@ const router = createRouter({
       name: 'aa-docking',
       component: AADocking
     },
+    {
+      path: '/future-directions/structure-imaging',
+      name: 'structure-imaging',
+      component: StructureImaging
+    },
     {
       path: '/future-directions/octahedron-liposome-formation',
       name: 'octahedron-liposome-formation',

src/views/future-directions/StructureImaging.vue

@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import Notebook from '@/components/lab-notebook/Notebook.vue'
+import SingleColumn from '@/components/lab-notebook/SingleColumn.vue'
+import CaptionedGraphics from '@/components/CaptionedGraphics.vue'
+
+const sectionTitleStyle = 'text-subtitle-sm lg:text-subtitle text-white mb-4'
+</script>
+
+<template>
+  <Notebook>
+    <template #title> Structure Imaging </template>
+    <template #body>
+      <SingleColumn>
+        <template #title> Overview </template>
+        <template #body>
+          <p>
+            To visualize the formation of the octahedron, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was employed
+            due to its capacity for high-resolution imaging and its established utility in
+            visualizing DNA origami structures. An attempt was made to observe octahedron formation;
+            however, this endeavor was impeded by a machine calibration malfunction, preventing a
+            conclusive determination of the success of octahedron formation. Although the acquired
+            images suggest a probable formation of the octahedron structure, future attempts are
+            imperative, using the same methods outlined below, in order to definitively confirm its
+            formation.
+          </p>
+        </template>
+      </SingleColumn>
+
+      <SingleColumn>
+        <template #title> Background </template>
+        <template #body>
+          <p>
+            Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a technique used to obtain high-resolution images of
+            nanoscale structures, including DNA origami and protein assemblies (Kolbeck et al.,
+            2023). AFM employs a sharp probe to scan the surface of the sample mechanically. The
+            interaction between the probe tip and the sample surface generates a topographical/3D
+            map, which can be magnified for detailed examination(Kolbeck et al., 2023). This allows
+            researchers to visualize intricate structures at the nanometer scale without the need
+            for electron beams (Kolbeck et al., 2023). AFM is particularly useful for studying
+            biological samples, as it does not require a vacuum environment or special sample
+            preparation, making it more versatile for a wide range of applications (Kolbeck et al.,
+            2023).
+          </p>
+        </template>
+      </SingleColumn>
+
+      <SingleColumn>
+        <template #title> Aims </template>
+        <template #body>
+          <ol class="list-decimal pl-8">
+            <li>
+              To observe and confirm the synthesis of DNA origami structures, to serve as a scaffold
+              for imaging
+            </li>
+            <li>To determine the extent of chaining/polymerization for octahedrons</li>
+            <li>To demonstrate the viability of using AFM for DNA origami methods</li>
+          </ol>
+        </template>
+      </SingleColumn>
+
+      <SingleColumn>
+        <template #title> Methods </template>
+        <template #body>
+          <div class="flex flex-col gap-y-4">
+            <p>
+              The method was adapted by Lv et al., 2015. To capture detailed AFM (Atomic Force
+              Microscopy) images of DNA nanostructures, a mica surface was employed as the
+              substrate. Mica is a silicate mineral that is frequently used in microscopy due to its
+              smooth, reactive surface. Initially, the mica surface was prepared by cleaving it with
+              a sterilized, sharp scalpel, although Scotch tape can also be employed for this task.
+              Following the cleavage, we applied a prepared buffer onto the mica and let it incubate
+              for 5 minutes. To ensure complete removal of the buffer, the surface was washed with 1
+              mL of double-distilled water (ddH2O). This washing step was conducted three times.
+            </p>
+            <p>
+              Subsequently, 2.5µL of previously prepared DNA nanostructures were applied onto the
+              mica. The sample was then allowed to incubate for 5 minutes, ensuring that the DNA
+              would securely adhere to the mica surface for stable imaging. To minimize the risk of
+              salt contamination, we rinsed the mica surface with 1 mL of either Millipore water or
+              ddH2O. After washing, the mica surface was immediately dried under Argon for 1 minute.
+            </p>
+            <p>
+              Finally, with both the mica surface and DNA nanostructures properly prepared, the
+              sample was ready for AFM imaging.
+            </p>
+          </div>
+        </template>
+      </SingleColumn>
+
+      <SingleColumn>
+        <template #title> Results </template>
+        <template #body>
+          <div class="flex flex-col gap-y-4">
+            <CaptionedGraphics>
+              <template #graphics>
+                <div class="grid md:grid-cols-2 grid-rows-2 gap-10 lg:w-3/4">
+                  <img src="../../assets/structure-imaging/sample-1.jpeg" alt="" class="h-full" />
+                  <img src="../../assets/structure-imaging/sample-2.jpeg" alt="" class="h-full" />
+                  <img src="../../assets/structure-imaging/sample-3.jpeg" alt="" class="h-full" />
+                  <img src="../../assets/structure-imaging/sample-4.jpeg" alt="" class="h-full" />
+                </div>
+              </template>
+              <template #caption>
+                <p>
+                  Figure 1. Four AFM images of the area of Octahedron sample (25 nM). The X axis
+                  represents width and the Y axis represents length of the samples. The range of
+                  values on the sidebars represent the heights of samples (length in the Z
+                  dimension). It should be noted that these values are not reliable due to
+                  calibration errors of the machine.
+                </p>
+              </template>
+            </CaptionedGraphics>
+            <p>
+              In the acquired images, we observed distinct white "blobs" that may potentially
+              represent octahedron structures. However, it is important to note that the reliability
+              of the xyz axes is compromised due to a calibration malfunction in the imaging
+              machine. As a result, we are unable to provide conclusive information regarding the
+              sizes of these structures, even when using a standard reference sample.
+            </p>
+          </div>
+        </template>
+      </SingleColumn>
+
+      <SingleColumn>
+        <template #title> Discussion </template>
+        <template #body>
+          <div class="flex flex-col gap-y-6">
+            <p>
+              While the features observed in the AFM images resemble octahedrons, they could also
+              potentially be salt crystals, specifically MgCl2, which is commonly used in the
+              thermoramp protocol for forming octahedrons from scaffold and staple strands. However,
+              it's important to note that the absence of an accurate scale bar makes it
+              inappropriate to draw conclusions without further verification. Therefore, retesting
+              AFM or employing an alternative validation method is necessary. The gel
+              electrophoresis results did exhibit a noticeable band shift for the formed structure
+              compared to the scaffold. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that gel electrophoresis
+              provides more of a qualitative assessment, and for greater confidence in the
+              successful formation of octahedrons, we need to complement it with AFM or other
+              visualization techniques. In our future experiments, we plan to utilize AFM in
+              conjunction with TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) to establish two reliable
+              methods for confirming the structure's formation. AFM will be our initial choice due
+              to its quicker results. However, it's essential to recognize that AFM primarily
+              confirms the DNA aspects of the octahedron. For a comprehensive understanding of
+              liposome formation templated on the octahedron, cryo-TEM remains the most suitable
+              method.
+            </p>
+          </div>
+        </template>
+      </SingleColumn>
+
+      <SingleColumn :always-dropdown="true">
+        <template #title> References </template>
+        <template #body>
+          <div class="pl-6 -indent-6">
+            <p>
+              Kolbeck, P. J., Dass, M., Martynenko, I. V., van Dijk-Moes, R. J. A., Brouwer, K. J.
+              H., van Blaaderen, A., Vanderlinden, W., Liedl, T., & Lipfert, J. (2023). DNA Origami
+              Fiducial for Accurate 3D Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging. Nano Letters, 23(4),
+              1236–1243. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c04299
+            </p>
+            <p>
+              Lv, Y., Hu, R., Zhu, G., Zhang, X., Mei, L., Liu, Q., Qiu, L., Wu, C., & Tan, W.
+              (2015). Preparation and biomedical applications of programmable and multifunctional
+              DNA nanoflowers. Nature Protocols, 10(10), 1508–1524.
+              https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2015.078
+            </p>
+          </div>
+        </template>
+      </SingleColumn>
+    </template>
+  </Notebook>
+</template>