[New approaches to the study of viruses using scanning probe microscopy].

Atomic force microscopy was applied for studying individual virus particles. The micromechanism of rotaviruses was studied using the force curves of an atomic force microscope, with the Young's modulus of an individual particle being 1.0 x10(8) +/- 0.3 x 10(8) Pa. The distribution of the mechanical and adhesive properties over the sample surface was analyzed. The application of substrates modified by the corresponding antibodies made it possible to increase the self-descriptiveness of analysis. Some details of applying these substrates in studies of adenoviruses by atomic force microscopy are described. The approaches proposed enable one to extend the set of characteristics describing the virus particle.