Quantitative Nano-imaging of Cells with a High Energy X-ray Cryo Nano-probe

Metals, present in trace concentrations such as iron, copper and zinc, play a fundamental role in all forms of life. They are essential as enzyme cofactors or cell metabolism regulators. An accurate localization and quantification of these elements in terms of molarity or mass fraction, in two-dimension (2D) and three-dimension (3D), is needed to enrich our understanding of their potential roles in relevant physiological mechanisms, as well as in pathological processes. This requires the appropriate analytical tools with sufficient chemical sensitivity and high spatial resolution at the intra-cellular level.