Synchrotron X-rays for Metals in Plants, Soils, and Environmental Systems: Early Science and Community Building at XLEAP

Session

Looking forward

Aug 7, 2026, 9:15 AM

Bradfield 101 (Cornell University)

23. X-ray fluorescence microscopy, the next chapter: correlating elemental distributions with structural features

Martina Ralle

8/7/26, 9:15 AM

Looking ahead

Oral presentation

Biological X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) has emerged as a powerful tool for investigating the spatial distribution and quantification of trace elements in biological materials. By providing precise elemental distributions with low background and increasingly high resolution, XFM now allows for the study of metals and the roles of essential and toxic elements in biological processes at...

6. Optimising cryofixation of plant tissues for 2D X-ray microscopy: insights from the ID-21 beamline (ESRF)

Gabriel Sgarbiero Montanha (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF))

8/7/26, 9:45 AM

Looking ahead

Oral presentation

Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (SXRF) imaging is a unique tool for understanding the localisation and dynamics of chemical elements within plant tissues, e.g., leaves, roots, stems, flowers (including pollen), fruits, and seeds, down to subcellular-level resolution. Unlike cell cultures, 2D XRF imaging of plant specimens often requires thin sections and, hence, an imbibing...

37. XLEAP-Enabled Opportunities for Micron-Scale Confocal X-ray Fluorescence Imaging

Arthur Woll (CLASSE)

8/7/26, 10:00 AM

Looking ahead

Oral presentation

A nearly ubiquitous challenge in conventional x-ray fluorescence (XRF) microscopy, especially for biological applications, is preparing sufficiently thin samples to obtain the best-possible spatial resolution. To make full use of the sub-micron beamsize available at XLEAP in this mode, sample thicknesses will be limited to a few microns or less. Apart from the time and skill required to...

15. Technique-Independent Analysis Software for Biological Elemental Imaging

Tracy Punshon (Dartmouth College)

8/7/26, 10:30 AM

Looking ahead

Oral presentation

Elemental imaging has become an important tool for investigating biological systems, providing spatially resolved measurements of elements in whole organisms, tissues and cells. While instrumentation continues to advance across multiple modalities including laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM), and particle-induced X-ray...

48. Synthetic Biology and Programmable Plant Systems - Opening a Dialogue with Plants

Margaret Frank (Cornell University)

8/7/26, 10:45 AM

Looking ahead

Oral presentation

Programmable plant systems are plants engineered to have new capabilities to receive and transmit signals, enabling them to report on their environment, respond to external stimuli, and interact with other organisms and sensors. Programmable plant systems are enabled by a deep understanding of plant signaling, gene function, and synthetic biology that create new connections between plants,...