Characterizing Riverine Biofilms using Scanning Transmission X-ray and Transmission Electron Microscopies

Scanning transmission X-ray, laser scanning, and transmission electron microscopy mapping of the exopolymeric matrix of microbial biofilms.

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and soft X-ray scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) were used to map the distribution of macromolecular subcomponents (e.g., polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids) of biofilm cells and matrix. The biofilms were developed from river water supplemented with methanol, and although they compri...

Speciation and quantitative mapping of metal species in microbial biofilms using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy.

A scanning transmission X-ray microscope illuminated with synchrotron light was used to investigate the speciation and spatial distributions of metals in a microbial biofilm cultivated from river water. Metal 2p absorption edge signals were used to provide metal speciation (through shapes of the absorption spectra) and quantitative spatial distributions of the metal species. This paper presents...

X-ray Microanalysis of Cultured Cells in the Scanning Electron Microscope and in the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope: a Comparison

X-ray microanalysis of cultured cells as “whole mounts” (i.e., not sectioned) is used frequently e.g., to study mechanisms of ion transport. Cells can be cultured either on solid substrates or on thin plastic films on grids. Cells cultured on solid substrates are analyzed in the scanning electron microscope at relatively low accelerating voltage, cells cultured on thin films can be analyzed in ...

Combined scanning transmission X-ray and electron microscopy for the characterization of bacterial endospores.

Endospores (also referred to as bacterial spores) are bacterial structures formed by several bacterial species of the phylum Firmicutes. Spores form as a response to environmental stress. These structures exhibit remarkable resistance to harsh environmental conditions such as exposure to heat, desiccation, and chemical oxidants. The spores include several layers of protein and peptidoglycan tha...

15. Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy