TwinMic X-ray spectromicroscopy for nanomaterials investigations
A. Gianoncelli1, G. Ceccone2, P. Marmorato2, L. Pascolo3, J. Ponti2, F. Rossi2, M. Salomé4, C. Rizzardi5,6,
M. Schneider5, C. Bottin5, M. Melato3,5,6, B. Kaulich1, M. Kiskinova1
1
ELETTRA, Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 149, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027
Ispra (VA), Italy
3
IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
4
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), 6 rue Jules Horowitz, 38000 Grenoble, France
5
Unit of Pathology, ASS n. 2 “Isontina"Department of Anatomical Pathology, Hospital of Monfalcone, 34074 Monfalcone,
Gorizia, Italy.
6
Department of Anatomical Pathology, Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, University of Trieste, 34127
Trieste, Italy.
2
The expanding use of nanomaterials as drug delivery carriers, contrast in cancer therapy agents has
raised the growing concern about the health hazards related to their possible toxic effects. In fact, the
toxicity of some pollutant nano matter, as asbestos fibres has long been recognized as responsible for
several lung diseases among them mesothelioma.
Understanding the biochemistry and the function of complex biological systems at their natural subcellular length scales requires interdisciplinary research. Among the techniques that offer unique
opportunities in this field there is synchrotron-based X-ray spectromicroscopy that combines high
resolution imaging and chemical sensitivity. This presentation will illustrate the potential of soft X-ray
microscope the Elettra Synchrotron facility (Trieste, Italy) [1] in cellular or sub-cellular analysis, based
on simultaneous collection of images using different imaging modes and low energy X-ray
fluorescence.
The exemplary X-ray imaging and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) microscopy results obtained with
untreated paraffinated histological lung tissue samples of exposed patients, containing asbestos
bodies [2] and with balb3T3 mouse fibroblast cells exposed to CoFe2O4nanoparticles with
concentrations ranging between 40 and 1000 µM will be reported [3].
[1] B. Kaulich, J. Susini, C. David, E. Di Fabrizio, G. Morrison, P. Charalambous, J. Thieme, T. Wilhein, J. Kovac, D. Bacescu,
M. Salome, O. Dhez, T. Weitkamp, S. Cabrini, D. Cojoc, A. Gianoncelli, U. Vogt, M. Podnar, M. Zangrando, M. Zacchigna,
and M. Kiskinova, TwinMic: A European Twin X-ray Microscopy Station Commissioned at ELETTRA, Conf. Proc. Series IPAP
7, pp. 22-25.
[2] L. Pascolo, A. Gianoncelli, B. Kaulich, C. Rizzardi, M. Schneider, C. Bottin, M. Polentarutti, M. Kiskinova, A. Longoni, and
M. Melato, Synchrotron soft X-ray imaging and fluorescence microscopy reveal novel features of asbestos body
morphology and composition in human lung tissues, Particle and Fibre Toxicology 8, doi:10.1186/1743-8977-8-7.
[3] P. Marmorato, G. Ceccone, A. Gianoncelli, L. Pascolo, J. Ponti, F. Rossi, M. Salomé, B. Kaulich, and M. Kiskinova, Cellular
distribution and degradation of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles in Balb/3T3 Fibroblasts, in press in Toxicology Letters,
doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2011.08.026.