AFM-Based High-Throughput Nanomechanical Screening of Single Extracellular Vesicles

I the present study, a novel AFM-based high throughput mechanical characterization for extracellular vesicles is presented. The method relies on the analysis of vesicles morphometry following their adsorption on surfaces. The deformation extent of the vesicle, which is representative of the vesicle stiffness, is evaluated by the calculation of the so-called vesicle contact angle. The method was applied to different etracellular vesicles (EVs) samples from different natural sources and was employed for spotting the presence of non-vesicular contaminants.