Cryo X-Ray Microscopy Experiments with the X-Ray Microscope at BESSY

摘要

The transmission X-ray microscope (TXM) at the electron storage ring BESSY was used to image frozen-hydrated objects at cryogenic temperatures and atmospheric pressure. After shock freezing in liquid ethane different initially living biological objects such as cells, chromosomes and algae were investigated at 2.4 nm wavelength in amplitude contrast mode. The high X-ray absorption of cellular structures and the 10-fold lower absorption of frozen water yield natural element contrast. The X-ray images show details inside the biological objects down to 30 nm size, which is about one order of magnitude better than conventional visible light microscopy.