Life science applications and research potential of the TwinMic spectromicroscopy station at ELETTRA

Abstract

Since its opening to the users in late 2007, the TwinMic beamline at the Elettra synchrotron has been attracting the interest of a broad life science community. The recent development and implementation of a low energy x-ray fluorescence detection mode have increased the capability and the versatility of the scanning mode of the TwinMic microscope. Now using simultaneously the x-ray transmission and emission detection systems one can perform elemental, absorption and phase contrast imaging that provides complementary chemical and morphological information for the sample under investigation. The recent achievements in the performance of the instrument using combined acquisition modes for characterization of nano and micro-structured biomaterials will be illustrated with selected exemplary results.