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ALS Work Using Tomography

Tomography allows 3D imaging of structures inside samples without the need to physically slice them open. A series of images is collected as a sample is rotated, and the raw data is computationally converted into digital sections that can be stacked to reconstruct 3D visualizations of the sample. The very high flux of x-rays and infrared light at the ALS allows collection of high-quality, high-speed 3D images at nanometer or micrometer resolution. Synchrotron tomography also enables photon-energy tuning for element- and chemistry-specific contrast, as well as phase-contrast imaging.

 

3D Visualization of Leaves during Drought

The veins of living leaves at increasing levels of drought stress were visualized using x-ray microtomography. The results expand our view of leaf drought responses, beyond the traditional embolism-centric view, to a broader focus on the role of the surrounding living tissues in water movement during drought. Read more »

GE Aviation Delves into Advanced Materials at the ALS

Developing ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) to replace the metal alloys traditionally used in jet engines has been a goal for the aviation industry for decades. For more than a year, GE Aviation has used the tomography capabilities at ALS Beamline 8.3.2 to gain insight into their CMC materials, guiding their engineering and design efforts. Read more »PPT-icon-35

Mapping the Migration of Genetic Material

A powerful soft x-ray microscope captures tomographic images of the genetic material in the nuclei of nerve cells at different stages of maturity. The detailed 3D visualizations show an unexpected connectivity in the genetic material and provide a new understanding of a cell’s evolving architecture. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

When Rocket Science Meets X-Ray Science

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and NASA are using x-rays to explore, via 3D visualizations, how the microscopic structures of spacecraft heat shield and parachute materials survive extreme temperatures and pressures, including simulated atmospheric entry conditions on Mars. Read more »

3D Visualization of the Behavior of Grease Additives

Lubricants help keep civilization running smoothly, but is there room for improvement? With the goal of increasing the life span and lowering the costs of all kinds of mechanical and biological systems, researchers used x-ray microtomography to visualize the behavior of grease additives under working conditions. Read more »

Molecular Switch Triggers Bacterial Pathogenicity

Using an array of high-powered x-ray imaging techniques at the ALS, scientists have revealed for the first time the molecular steps that turn on bacteria’s pathogenic genes. The study could open up new avenues in the development of drugs to prevent or treat bacterial infection. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Getting to the Root of Grapevine Hydraulics

In grapevines, “root pressure” was assumed to play a role in recovering from embolisms (blockages) in a plant’s water-transport systems during drought conditions. To clarify this, researchers used ALS Beamline 8.3.2 to obtain 3D microtomographic images of grapevine stem segments detached from roots and leaves. Read more »

Mapping the Topology of the Human Genome

To determine how a gene will function, we need to know the spatial arrangement of the genome in the nucleus. Researchers have made a significant advance in determining this 3D organization by combining modeling and probabilistic calculations with minimally perturbing imaging techniques. Read more »

Power-Amplified Predatory Strikes in Trap-Jaw Spiders

Using a combination of high-speed video, molecular phylogenetic analysis, and x-ray microtomography of a family of tiny trap-jaw spiders, researchers discovered that power-amplified predatory strikes evolved four times independently, once the basic trap-jaw body plan was in place. Read more »