Volume 27 Issue 2 (March 2013)

Volume 27 Issue 2 (March 2013)

Articles

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Contrast enhancing techniques for the application of micro-CT in marine biodiversity studies

26 February 2013
Sarah Faulwetter, Thanos Dailianis, Aikaterini Vasileiadou and Christos Arvanitidis
Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine
Research, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
X-ray micro-computed tomography holds large potential for zoology and taxonomy in particular. The scanning of soft-bodied invertebrates requires however some form of contrast enhancement to produce useful results. Here, we apply three different methods (tissue staining with iodine and with phosphotungstic acid and drying with hexamethyldisilazane) to three different invertebrates and compare their effects. The effects of each method on different organisms and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
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Structure determination of nanocrystals with precession 3D electron diffraction tomography in the TEM

26 February 2013
Mauro Gemmi,1 Athanassios Galanis,5 Fotini Karavassili,2 Partha Pratim Das,2 Maria Calamiotou,3 Anastasios Gantis,3 Mary Kollia,4 Irene Margiolaki 2 and Stavros Nicolopoulos5
1. Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa, Italy. 2. Department of Biology, University of Patras, Greece. 3. Solid State Physics Department, University of Athens, Greece. 4. Laboratory of Electron Microscopy & Microanalysis, School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, Greece. 5. NanoMEGAS SPRL, Brussels, Belgium.
We show the application of the novel precession 3D electron diffraction tomography to the structure solution of nanocrystals. This technique is an alternative approach to structure solution when, for specific reasons like for example a multi-phase sample or a low crystallinity sample, the conventional x-ray diffraction approaches fail. The details, the characteristics of the technique and the possibility of its implementation on a standard TEM are discussed. As test examples, three known crystal structures are solved with this technique.
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Three dimensional electron microscopy of cellular organelles by serial block face SEM and ET

26 February 2013
Helena Vihinen, Ilya Belevich and Eija Jokitalo
Institute of Biotechnology, Electron Microscopy Unit, University of Helsinki, Finland
Novel serial imaging methods using scanning electron microscopy may be used for 3D morphological studies of plastic embedded biological specimens. Serial block face SEM has already proven an undisputable position in 3D-EM studies of tissues, but it has a lot of potential in cell biology applications too. Electron tomography can be used to complement those studies where higher resolution is needed. In this article we present examples of utilizing these two 3D-EM techniques to study cellular organelles.
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Biological applications of X-ray microtomography: imaging microanatomy, molecular expression and organismal diversity

26 February 2013
Brian D. Metscher, Department of Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
X-ray microtomographic imaging is coming into more widespread use in life sciences research. Micro-CT produces whole-volume images of intact samples with resolutions extending into the range of light microscopy and is most powerful in combination with other imaging techniques. The versatility of lab-based micro-CT systems makes them well-suited to a wide variety of applications in biological research, from comparative embryology and functional microanatomy to developmental paleontology. Simple contrast staining enables histology-scale 3D imaging of intact soft tissues in embryos, insects, and other soft-bodied specimens. The inherent size calibration of tomographic images offers the potential for quantitative analysis and modeling. Here I describe some current applications of x-ray microtomographic imaging to research in the life sciences.
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Visualization of clay and frozen substances inside porous rocks using X-ray micro-computed tomography

26 February 2013
Alexander Nadeev, Dmitry Mikhailov, Evgeny Chuvilin, Dmitry Koroteev, Valery Shako
Schlumberger Moscow Research, Moscow, Russia
This study presents experimental approaches for the investigation of ice, gas-hydrates and clays inside the porous medium of artificial and natural rocks. We show that X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) with the application of special contrast agents can be used as an effective method for the visualization of the distribution of substances in three dimensions. This information can be used for the modelling of different phenomena including the migration of ions, fluid flow, and formation damage by clay particles.
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Exploring electrochemical devices using X-ray microscopy: 3D microstructure of batteries and fuel cells

26 February 2013

Paul R. Shearing,1 David S. Eastwood,2 Robert S. Bradley,2 Jeff Gelb,3 Samuel J. Cooper,4 Farid Tariq,5 Daniel J. L. Brett,1 Nigel P. Brandon,5 Philip J. Withers,2 Peter D. Lee2
1. The Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Dept. Chemical Engineering, University College London, UK.
2. Manchester X-Ray Imaging Facility, School of Materials, University of Manchester, UK. 3. Xradia Inc, Pleasanton, CA, USA. 4. Dept. Materials, Imperial College London, UK. 5. Dept. Earth Science and
Engineering, Imperial College London, UK.
With improvements in microscopy and tomography techniques, researchers are increasingly equipped to establish direct relationships between the microscopic structure of electrode materials and their macroscopic performance at a device level. Here, we explore how multi-length scale X-ray microscopy can contribute significantly to the understanding of electrochemical devices, and will draw upon case studies of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and Li-ion battery electrode materials.

Posted : Tuesday 26 February 2013
Volume number: 
2013
Issue number: 
2

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Volume 27, Issue 2 (March 2013)