Tomography and Spectro-Microscopy
Techniques Available
ALBA Synchrotron
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MISTRAL is a full-field Transmission X-ray Microscopy beamline devoted to cryo nano-tomography in the water window for microscopy on the nano scale of biological systems and provides spectroscopic and magnetic imaging for ambient temperature conditions.
The full-field Transmission X-ray Microscopy beamline MISTRAL is devoted to cryo nano-tomography in the water window for biological applications. In addition, spectroscopic imaging (a series of 2D images over a range of X-ray wavelengths) at several interesting X-ray absorption edges such as, for example, Ca, Ti, O & Fe can be performed, as well as magnetic imaging.
The Transmission X-ray Microscope (TXM) works from 270 eV to 1200 eV. A single-reflection elliptical glass capillary condenser focuses monochromatic light on to the sample, which is at cryo-temperature. The transmitted signal is collected by an objective Fresnel Zone plate (of 25 or 40 nm outermost zone widths) and a magnified image is delivered to a direct illumination CCD camera. The routinely expected spatial resolution in 2D is 30 nm and ~50 nm for tomographies. An epifluorescence visible light microscope on-line with the TXM allows for correlative microscopy.
Facilities for cryo sample preparation and cryo-screening of samples after vitrification are available for the users, as well as dedicated software for data analysis.
Technical Specifications
Source | Bending magnet |
Energy resolution | up to E/DE = 5*103 |
Energy range | 270 - 1200 eV |
Zone plates available | 25 nm and 40 nm |
Sample support | TEM round grid (3.05 mm), FEI autogrid sample holder available for dual-axis tomography |
Visible Light Fluorescence | Fluorescence microscope on line; Excitation/Emission filters: 350-400/415-480nm, 450-490/520-560 nm, 510-560/590 nm, 630-655/695-740 nm |
Tilt range | ± 70º (40nm ZP) & ± 65º (25nm ZP) |
Detector | PIXIS-XO: 1024 * 1024, pixel size = 13 µm |
Raw data format | file format: XRM, raw data, HDF5, TIFF |
Data analysis software | ImageJ, IMOD, TOMO3D, TOMOJ, XMIPP |
Preparation lab | Bio-lab (safety level 2). Plunge freezing preparation available. |
How to download the data
Check out section 4 to access remotely to your experimental data
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