Berlin 2024 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 15: Poster IIb
BP 15.4: Poster
Tuesday, March 19, 2024, 18:00–20:30, Poster F
Scanning small angle x-ray scattering of hydrated cells in flow environment — •Boram Yu1, Mangalika Sinha1, Rita Mendes da silva1, 2, Peter Luley1, Manfred Burghammer2, and Sarah Köster1 — 1Institute for X-Ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany — 2European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France
Imaging biological cells using x-rays is a complementary approach to electron and fluorescence microscopy due to their high penetration depth and the possibility for label-free imaging. One such technique is scanning small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), which provides both real space overview images with moderate resolution and reciprocal space information with high resolution, making it useful for obtaining structural information of ordered intracellular structures. However, imaging cells in an aqueous state, i.e., in a physiological environment, is challenging due to low electron density contrast, pronounced radiation damage, and radiation-induced gas formation. To overcome these challenges, we built a dedicated flow sample chamber, offering minimized thickness of the liquid layer in the beam path while continuously exchanging liquid during scanning. Using this technique, we conducted a study on fixed-hydrated mammalian cells with cytokeratin bundle networks. Despite the weak contrast and short exposure time, we were able to obtain distinguishable differences in strongly ordered cell components. It implies that scanning SAXS combined with the flow sample chamber offers structural information from fixed-hydrated cells in liquid flow.
Keywords: x-ray imaging; small angle x-ray scattering; microfluidics