With the Agilent 5420 atomic force microscope one can image atoms on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite, as well as DNA, proteins, and a large variety of biological and chemical samples. Surface topography in 3-D can be imaged for all sorts of material science applications as well. One research group at the College is studying polymers with the AFM.
The instrument can be used as a very high resolution scanning probe microscope, or in the scanning tunneling mode to view atomic structure. Students use them for thesis work as well as in labs for chemistry and physics.