https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2004-00084-4
Soft X-ray contact microscopy of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans*
1
INFM, CIMAINA, and Istituto di Fisiologia Generale e Chimica Biologica,
Università di Milano, Via Trentacoste 2, 20134 Milano, Italy
2
Dipartimento di Fisica “G.Occhialini", Università di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, 20126 Milano, Italy
3
PALS Research Centre, Za Slovankou 3, 18221 Prague 8, Czech Republic
4
Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
5
Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Università di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
Corresponding author: a Giulio.Poletti@unimi.it
Received:
18
February
2004
Published online:
29
June
2004
Soft X-ray Contact Microscopy (SXCM) of Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes with typical length ~800 m and diameter ~30
m has been performed using the
PALS laser source of wavelength
m and pulse
duration
ps. Pulsed soft X-rays were generated using
molybdenum and gold targets with laser intensities
W/cm2.
Images have been recorded on PMMA photo resists and analyzed
using an atomic force microscope operating in contact mode. Cuticle features
and several internal organs have been identified in the SXCM images
including lateral field, cuticle annuli, pharynx, and hypodermal and
neuronal cell nuclei.
PACS: 42.62.Be – Biological and medical applications / 07.85.Tt – X-ray microscopes / 87.59.Bh – X-ray radiography
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2004