14th International Conference on Nuclear Microprobe Technology and Applications

Dual elemental and molecular imaging by MeV SIMS and micro-PIXE on biological tissue samples

8 Jul 2014, 15:20

30m

Auditorium (Centro Culturale San Gaetano)

Invited Technical Oral Communication Session 3 - Nuclear Microprobe Applications: Biology 1

Speaker

Mrs Nina Ogrinc Potocnik (Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia)

Description

In the last decade, there has been a growing interest in the elemental and biomolecular distribution on the tissue surface. These species are localized to a specific region of the tissue and play an important role in biochemical processes. Therefore, it is important to investigate the spatial distribution, structure and function of these biological species [1]. The current surface characterization techniques provide unique but limited information on lateraly-resolved elemental and molecular distributions. In order to overcome these limitations, we are using a dual imaging technique by combining micro-PIXE [2] and MeV SIMS [3,4] capable of providing us with the elemental and molecular distribution on the same tissue samples. The MeV SIMS measurements are performed by a 5.8 MeV 35Cl6+ primary ion beam focused to a dimension of 20 µm x 20 µm. The acquired molecular maps are then correlated with the sequentially measured elemental maps by micro-PIXE, measured at the matched sample region. Micro-PIXE maps are acquired by a 3 MeV proton beam and the current lateral resolution limit of 700 nm x 700 nm. The current status of the dual imaging technique as well as the tissue sample preparation protocols will be presented at various plant case studies, with an emphasis on the leaves of Al-treated tea plants (Camellia sinensis). The correlated elemental and molecular distributions on other tissue types, including animal brain and human hair, will also be presented. [1] Heeren, R. M. A., McDonnell L.A., Amstalden E., Luxembourg S.L., Altelaar A.F.M,. Piersma S.R Appl. Surf. Sci. 252, 2006,6827–6835. [2] P. Pongrac et al., Journal of the Royal Society interface 10 (2013) no 84 [3] Y. Nakata, Y. Honda, S. Ninomiya, T. Seki, T. Aoki, J. Matsuo, Applied Surface Science 255 (2008) 1591-1594 [4] L. Jeromel, N. Ogrinc, Z. Siketić, P. Vavpetič, Z. Rupnik and P. Pelicon, accepted for publication in NIMB