AFM has contributed to ground-breaking research in the investigation of DNA, proteins, and cells in biological studies; structure and component distribution in polymer science; piconewton force interactions and surfactant behavior in colloid science; and physical/ mechanical properties and fabrication variables in the material sciences. Pharmaceutical research often consists of a combination of these scientific branches, making it a particularly viable field for the application of AFM. The ability of AFM to provide high-resolution, three-dimensional surface structure, regardless of sample conductivity, makes it a powerful complement to other common analytical techniques currently available. This application note examines how AFM has been applied to pharmaceutical research studies of drug interactions and disease mechanisms.