Atomic force microscopes (AFM) detect and record the topology of cells and tissues at nano-scale resolutions. Scanning electrochemical microscopy, on the other hand, detects chemical and biological activity on a similar scale. Until recently, researchers had to use these tools sequentially. But cell activity changes over time, so topological data couldn't be well correlated to biological activity. To solve this problem, engineers at Georgia Institute of Technology, working with researchers at the Vienna University of Technology, combined the two by adding micro and nano-electrodes into the tip of an AFM. They've tested the concept by adding glucose sensors to AFM tips and scanned glucose transport through a track-etched membrane. The hybrid tip let them measure chemical activity and image the process with a resolution of 200 nm. Other researchers have added an IR sensor to an AFM, while another team included a pH sensor.