Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

X-ray microscopy with synchrotron radiation

Abstract

X-ray microscopes, using synchrotron radiation sources, are allowing high resolution studies into the structure and chemistry of whole hydrated single cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: High resolution X-ray micrographs of fresh water organisms allow the visualization of structures less than 100 nm in size in hydrated, unsectioned specimens using 516 eV X-rays.
Figure 2: Soft X-ray microscopes can be used to map compositional difference.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kirz, J., Jacobsen, C. & Howells, M.Q. Soft X-ray microscopes and their biological applications. Rev. Biophysics 28, 33– 130 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kirz, J., Jacobsen, C. & Howells, M.Q. Soft X-ray microscopes and their biological applications. Rev. Biophysics 28, 33– 130 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wolter, H. Ann. Spiegelsysteme streifenden Einfalls als abbildende Optiken für Röntgenstrahlen Phys. 10, 94–114 and 286 (1952).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Sayre, D., Kirz, J., Feder, R., Kim, D.M. & Spiller, E. Transmission microscopy of unmodified biological materials: Comparative radiation dosages with electrons and ultrasoft X-ray photons. Ultramicroscopy 2, 337–341 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Schmahl, G., Rudolph, D., Schneider, G., Guttmann, P. & Niemann, B. Phase contrast X-ray microscopy studie.s Optik 97, 181– 182 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Williams, S. et al. Measurements of wet metaphase chromosomes in the scanning transmission X-ray microscope. J. Microscopy 170, 155–165 (1993).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Jacobsen, C., Medenwaldt R. & Williams, S. In X-ray microscopy and spectromicroscopy. A perspective on biological X-ray and electron microscopy (eds. Thieme, J., Schmahl, G., Umbach, E. & Rudolph, D.) in the press (Springer-Verlag, Berlin; 1998).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Schneider, G. & Niemann, B. In X-ray microscopy and spectromicroscopy. Cryo X-ray microscopy experiments with the X-ray microscope at BESSY (eds. Thieme, J., Schmahl, G., Umbach, E. & Rudolph, D.) in the press (Springer-Verlag, Berlin; 1998).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Maser, J. et al. In X-ray microscopy and spectromicroscopy. Development of a cryo scanning X-ray microscope at the NSLS (eds. Thieme, J., Schmahl, G., Umbach, E. & Rudolph, D.) in the press (Springer-Verlag, Berlin; 1998).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Schneider, G., Schliebe, T. & Aschoff, H.J. Cross-linked polymers for nanofabrication of high-resolution zone plates in nickel and germanium. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 13, 2809–2812 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Spector, S., Jacobsen, C. & Tennant, D.J. Process optimization for production of sub-20 nm soft X-ray zone plates Vac. Sci. Technol. B 15, 2872–2876 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Krasnoperova, A.A. et al. Microfocusing optics for hard X-rays fabricated by X-ray lithography Proc. SPIE 2516, 15–26 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Methe, O. et al. Transmission X-ray microscopy of intact hydrated PtK2 cells during the cell cycle. J. Microscopy 188, 125– 135 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Magowan, C. et al. Intracellular structures of normal and aberrant Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites imaged by soft X-ray microscopy. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 6222– 6227 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Zhang, X., Balhorn, R., Mazrimas, J. & Kirz, J. Mapping and measuring DNA to protein ratios in mammalian sperm head by XANES imaging. J. Struct. Biol. 116, 335– 344 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Buckley, C.J., Khaleque, N., Bellamy, S.J., Robins, M. & Zhang, X. Mapping the organic and inorganic components of tissue using NEXAFS J. Physique IV 7 (C2 Part 1), 83–90 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Chapman, H.N., Jacobsen, C. & Williams, S. A characterisation of dark-field imaging of colloidal gold labels in a scanning transmission X-ray microscope. Ultramicroscopy 62, 191–213 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Jacobsen, C., Lindaas, S., Williams, S. & Zhang, X. Scanning luminescence X-ray microscopy: imaging fluorescence dyes at suboptical resolution. J. Microscopy 172, 121– 129 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Moronne, M., Larabell, C., Selvin, P. & Irtel von Brenndorff, A. Development of fluroescent probes for x-ray microscopy. In Proc. 52nd Ann. Meeting, Micros. Soc. Am . 48–49 (San Francisco Press, 1994).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Grimm, R., Singh, H., Rachel, R., Typke, D., Zillig, W. & Baumeister, W. Electron tomography of ice-embedded prokaryotic cells. Biophysical J. 74, 1031–1042 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Haddad, W.S et al. Ultra high resolution X-ray tomography. Science 266, 1213–1215 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Lehr, J. 3D X-ray microscopy: tomographic imaging of mineral sheaths of bacteria Leptothrix ochracea with the Gottingen X-ray microscope at BESSY Optik 104, 166–170 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Support from the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, United States Department of Energy, and the Division of Biological Infrastructure, National Science Foundation, is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jacobsen, C., Kirz, J. X-ray microscopy with synchrotron radiation. Nat Struct Mol Biol 5 (Suppl 8), 650–653 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/1341

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1341

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing