Multimodal and multiscale correlative elemental imaging: From whole tissues down to organelles

• Published in: Current opinion in chemical biology Vol. 76; p. 102372
• Main Authors: Roudeau, Stéphane, Carmona, Asuncion, Ortega, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Brain; Cell; Correlative; Element; Imaging; Laser ablation; Mass spectrometry; Metal; Molecular imaging; Neuron; Organelle; Physics; SIMS; Synchrotron; Tissue; X-ray fluorescence; Molecular imaging; Brain; Element; Metal; Laser ablation; Tissue; Correlative; Neuron; X-ray fluorescence; Imaging; Organelle; SIMS; Synchrotron; Cell; Mass spectrometry
• ISSN: 1367-5931; 1879-0402; 1879-0402; 1367-5931
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102372

Chemical elements, especially metals, play very specific roles in the life sciences. The implementation of correlative imaging methods, of elements on the one hand and of molecules or biological structures on the other hand, is the subject of recent developments. The most commonly used spectro-imaging techniques for metals are synchrotron-induced X-ray fluorescence, mass spectrometry and fluorescence imaging of metal molecular sensors. These imaging methods can be correlated with a wide variety of other analytical techniques used for structural imaging (e.g., electron microscopy), small molecule imaging (e.g., molecular mass spectrometry) or protein imaging (e.g., fluorescence microscopy). The resulting correlative imaging is developed at different scales, from biological tissue to the subcellular level. The fields of application are varied, with some major research topics, the role of metals in the aetiology of neurodegenerative diseases and the use of metals for medical imaging or cancer treatment.