A guide to building a low-cost centrifuge force microscope module for single-molecule force experiments.

The ability to apply controlled forces to individual molecules or molecular complexes and observe their behaviors has led to many important discoveries in biology. Instruments capable of probing single-molecule forces typically cost >US$100,000, limiting the use of these techniques. The centrifuge force microscope (CFM) is a low-cost and easy-to-use instrument that enables high-throughput single-molecule studies.