Seminars Archive

X-ray microscopy: dealing with real-life complexities

Abstract
X-ray microscopes can provide high quality 2D images with good resolution and contrast. However, it is becoming the norm to collect data with far greater complexity. Spectromicroscopy image sequences can reveal the biochemical organization of potential biofuel materials and metal-toxicity-altering soil bacteria. Phase contrast can be combined with fluorescence detection to obtain quantitative views of trace element concentration, such as in obtaining a better understanding of the role of iron in CO2 uptake by the oceans. Diffraction microscopy and ptychography can be used to image cells without the resolution or collection efficiency limitations of x-ray optics. In all of these cases, the richness of data now being delivered is beyond what a researcher can immediately comprehend, so that computational analysis becomes increasingly important. Following examples such as the CCP4 effort in crystallography, some suggestions are put forward for ways in which the x-ray microscopy community can work together to share analysis efforts aimed at uncovering real-life complexities.