Elasticity and nanomechanical response of Aspergillus niger spores using atomic force microscopy

► The scratch depth increased with increasing loading. ► The adhesion force ranged from 9 to 28 nN. ► The Young's modulus of the Aspergillus niger spores ranged from 0.1 to 21.4 GPa. ► The hardness ranged from 0.01 to 0.17 GPa. The elasticity and nanomechanical response of Aspergillus niger spores determined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation are discussed. The force-displacement curve of the spore surfaces shows that the average surface roughness of spores was approximately 33 nm and that the adhesion force ranged from 9 to 28 nN. The Young's modulus of the A. niger spores ranged from 0.1 to 21.4 GPa and the hardness ranged from 0.01 to 0.17 GPa. The critical buckling load of the spore membrane is 290 μN.