Microbeam Analysis In Biology

Microbeam Analysis in Biology contains the proceedings of a workshop on Biological X-Ray Microanalysis by Electron Beam Excitation, held in Boston, Massachusetts on August 25-26, 1977. This book focuses on the principles, techniques, and biological use of electron probe microanalysis, energy-loss spectroscopy, and ion probe microanalysis. This text reflects the emphasis of the workshop on presenting the principles of analysis, the optimization of operating conditions, the description of successful techniques for sample preparation and quantitation, the illustration of problems and pitfalls, and the direction of microbeam analysis in biology.

Microprobe Analysis of Biological Systems covers the proceedings of the 1980 Microprobe Analysis of Biological Systems conference held at Battelle Conference Center in Seattle, Washington. Most of the major laboratories in the field of biological microanalysis in the United States, England, Scotland, France, and Germany are represented. The conference presents the findings, theories, techniques, and procedures of the laboratory represented, no matter how tentative and exploratory. This book is divided into four parts encompassing 22 chapters that focus on biological applications of microprobe analysis. The introductory part describes the application of electron microprobe and X-ray microanalyses in studies of epithelial transport, avian salt gland, electrolyte transport, and acrosome reaction. The subsequent part covers the application of microprobe techniques in the analysis of cardiac, skeletal, vascular smooth, and freeze-dried muscles. It also describes a method for obtaining erythrocyte preparations for validating biological microprobe methods and the continuum-fluorescence effect on thick biological tissue. The method using freeze-substitution to localize calcium in quick-frozen tissue for X-ray microanalysis is also explained. The third part of the book tackles the principles, basic features, and applications of electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Discussions on the use of inner-shell signals for a quantitative local microanalysis technique; theoretical study of the energy resolution; and collection efficiency of a magnetic spectrometer are also included. The final part covers the elemental distribution in single erythrocytes using X-ray microanalysis. It also discusses the fundamentals of cryosectioning process for X-ray microanalysis of diffusible elements and the freezing behavior of a number of chemically different gels chosen for their partial resemblance to biological structures. Considerable chapters contain materials and methods, results, discussions, conclusions, and references. This book will be of value to scientists interested in elemental and ion transport within cells and between cells and extracellular compartments.

This supplement of Mikrochimica Acta contains selected papers from the Second Workshop of the European Microbeam Analysis Society (EMAS) "Modern Developments and Applications in Microbeam Analysis", on which took place in May 1991 in Dubrovnik (Yugoslavia). EMAS was founded in 1987 by members from almost all European countries, in order to stimulate research, applications and development of all forms of microbeam methods. One of the most important activities EMAS is the organisation of biannual workshops for demonstrating the current status and developing trends of microbeam methods. For this meeting, EMAS chose to highlight the following topics: electron-beam microanalysis (EPMA) of thin films and quantitative analysis of ultra-light elements, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), electron energy loss spec trometry (EELS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), quantitative analysis of biological samples and standard-less electron-beam microanalysis. Seven introductory lectures and almost seventy poster presentations were given by speakers from twelve European and two non-European (U.S.A. and Argentina) countries were made. One cannot assume that all fields of research in Europe were duly represented, but a definite trend is discernible. EPMA with wavelength-dispersive spectrometry (WDS) or energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) is the method with by far the widest range of applications, followed by TEM with EELS and then AES. There are also interesting suggestions for the further development of new appa ratus with new fields of application. Applications are heavily biased towards materials science (thin films in microelectronics and semicon ductors), ceramics and metallurgy, followed by analysis of biological and mineral samples.

There are probably few people who do not dream of the good old times, when do ing science often meant fascination, excitement, even adventure. In our time, do ing science involves often technology and, perhaps, even business. But there are still niches where curiosity and fascination have their place. The subject of this book, technological as its title may sound, is one of the fortunate examples. It will report on lasers generating the coldest places in the Universe, and on table top laser microtools which can produce a heat "inferno" as it prevails in the interior of the Sun, or simulate, for specific plant cells, microgravity of the space around our plan et Earth. There will be some real surprises for the reader. The applications range from basic studies of the driving forces of cell division (and thus life) via genetic modification of cells (for example, for plant breeding) to medical applications such as blood cell analysis and finally in vitro fertilization. What are these instruments: laser microbeams and optical tweezers? Both are lasers coupled with a fluorescence microscope. The laser microbeam uses a pulsed ultraviolet laser. Light is focused, as well as possible, in space and time, in order to obtain extremely high light intensities - high enough to generate, for a very short instant, extremely hot spots which can be used to cut, fuse or perforate biological material.

"... this book will be particularly useful to the many biologists encountering problems of elemental analysis & analytical imaging who wish to have a clear yet comprehensive introduction to the principles, the conditions of application & the potential of nuclear microprobes compared with those of alternative methods." Journal of Trace & Microprobe Techniques, 1999

In 1987 the Electron Microscopy Society of America (EMSA) going to drive important scientific discoveries across wide areas under the leadership of J. P. Revel (Cal Tech) initiated a major of physiology, cellular biology and neurobiology. They had been program to present a discussion of recent advances in light looking for a forum in which they could advance the state of microscopy as part of the annual meeting. The result was three the art of confocal microscopy, alert manufacturers to the lim special LM sessions at the Milwaukee meeting in August 1988: itations of current instruments, and catalyze progress toward The LM Forum, organized by me, and Symposia on Confocal new directions in confocal instrument development. LM, organized by G. Schatten (Madison), and on Integrated These goals were so close to those of the EMSA project that Acoustic/LM/EM organized by C. Rieder (Albany). In addition, the two groups decided to join forces with EMSA to provide there was an optical micro-analysis session emphasizing Raman the organization and the venue for a Confocal Workshop and techniques, organized by the Microbeam Analysis Society, for NSF to provide the financial support for the speakers expenses a total of 40 invited and 30 contributed papers on optical tech and for the publication of extended abstracts.

The aim of electron probe microanalysis of biological systems is to identify, localize, and quantify elements, mass, and water in cells and tissues. The method is based on the idea that all electrons and photons emerging from an electron beam irradiated specimen contain information on its structure and composition. In particular, energy spectroscopy of X-rays and electrons after interaction of the electron beam with the specimen is used for this purpose. However, the application of this method in biology and medicine has to overcome three specific problems: 1. The principle constituent of most cell samples is water. Since liquid water is not compatible with vacuum conditions in the electron microscope, specimens have to be prepared without disturbing the other components, in parti cular diffusible ions (elements). 2. Electron probe microanaly sis provides physical data on either dry specimens or fully hydrated, frozen specimens. This data usually has to be con verted into quantitative data meaningful to the cell biologist or physiologist. 3. Cells and tissues are not static but dynamic systems. Thus, for example, microanalysis of physiolo gical processes requires sampling techniques which are adapted to address specific biological or medical questions. During recent years, remarkable progress has been made to overcome these problems. Cryopreparation, image analysis, and electron energy loss spectroscopy are key areas which have solved some problems and offer promise for future improvements.

Microbeam Analysis provides a major forum for the discussion of the latest microanalysis techniques using electron, ion, and photon beams. The volume contains 250 papers from the leading researchers in this advancing field. Researchers in physics, materials science, and electrical and electronic engineering will find useful information in this volu