Correlative Imaging of Structural Biochemistry in Plant and Food Quality Research Within an Interoperable Data Acquisition Platform

Abstract Correlative imaging is a powerful tool for revealing information on cell-type structures and their biochemistry, with the potential to inform healthier food choices and improved dietary recommendations. Determination of plant structures and their structural biochemistry advances our understanding of specific structures designed to store different biomolecules within cells and tissues. Compared to the classical biochemical separation techniques, the key advantage of sequential correlative imaging techniques is in relating spatial plant (micro)structures to their biochemistry in a nondestructive manner. Sequential imaging reported here comprises six methodologies on a single sample, a cross-section of a Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) grain, namely, bright-field and autofluorescence microscopy, fluorescence microspectroscopy, MeV-secondary ion mass spectrometry, micro-particle-induced X-ray emission, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Results confirm that the stepwise addition of the desired information across several classes of biomolecules and several spatial scales informs the quality and safety of plant-based produce across scales. Therefore, a viable workflow is proposed, enabling sequential spatial analysis of grain and highlighting plant structures' in situ specificity. The advantages and disadvantages of the selected methodologies were critically evaluated.