Researchers have developed a new technique to view living mammalian cells.
May 24 2024University of Tokyo The team used a powerful laser, called a soft X-ray free electron laser, to emit ultrafast pulses of illumination at the speed of femtoseconds, or quadrillionths of a second. With this they could capture images of carbon-based structures in living cells for the first time, before the soft X-ray radiation damaged them.
However, a team of researchers has constructed a new soft X-ray microscope through which they could view live mammalian cells for the first time. They were able to take images of carbon structures within the cells, which had not been seen before through other instruments. Carbon is one of the main elements for life, so this provides a new window into a vital part of ourselves.
A soft X-ray free electron laser provided pulse illumination at the speed of tens of femtoseconds . The ultrashort duration of the radiation pulses enabled us to take an image before the structure of the living cell was altered by radiation damage. We used Wolter mirrors for illumination and imaging. These mirrors provide a wide field of view, can withstand irradiation from the powerful lasers and exhibit no color distortion, making them ideal for observing samples at various wavelengths.
Although soft X-ray free electron lasers have previously been used to study smaller viruses and bacteria, mammalian cells were too big to be studied this way. However, by using Wolter mirrors, the team could achieve a wider field of view and use a thicker sample holder which could hold larger cells. The resulting images showed details about carbon content in the cells that had not been seen through other methods, such as electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy.
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