Title: X-ray Fluorescence Nanotomography of Single Bacteria with a Sub-15 nm Beam

Abstract

Abstract X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) microscopy is a growing approach for imaging the trace element concentration, distribution, and speciation in biological cells at the nanoscale. Moreover, three-dimensional nanotomography provides the added advantage of imaging subcellular structure and chemical identity in three dimensions without the need for staining or sectioning of cells. To date, technical challenges in X-ray optics, sample preparation, and detection sensitivity have limited the use of XRF nanotomography in this area. Here, XRF nanotomography was used to image the elemental distribution in individual E . coli bacterial cells using a sub-15 nm beam at the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe beamline (HXN, 3-ID) at NSLS-II. These measurements were simultaneously combined with ptychography to image structural components of the cells. The cells were embedded in small (3–20 µm) sodium chloride crystals, which provided a non-aqueous matrix to retain the three-dimensional structure of the E . coli while collecting data at room temperature. Results showed a generally uniform distribution of calcium in the cells, but an inhomogeneous zinc distribution, most notably with concentrated regions of zinc at the polar ends of the cells. This work demonstrates that simultaneous two-dimensional ptychography and XRF nanotomography can be performed with a sub-15 nm beam size on unfrozenmore » biological cells to co-localize elemental distribution and nanostructure simultaneously.« less

Authors:

Victor, Tiffany W.; Easthon, Lindsey M.; Ge, Mingyuan; O’Toole, Katherine H.; Smith, Randy J.; Huang, Xiaojing; Yan, Hanfei; Allen, Karen N.; Chu, Yong S.; Miller, Lisa M.

Publication Date:

Fri Sep 07 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:

1468367

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1480977

Report Number(s):

BNL-209355-2018-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322; 13415; PII: 31461

Grant/Contract Number:  

SC0012704

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

Scientific Reports

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Scientific Reports Journal Volume: 8 Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322

Publisher:

Nature Publishing Group

Country of Publication:

United Kingdom

Language:

English

Subject:

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; X-ray fluorescence; microscopy; nanotomography; ptychography; synchrotron; E. coli; cells; imaging