HZB and Freie Universität Berlin establish the joint research group “X-Ray Microscopy” for studying complex cellular processes
In May this year, the joint research group “X-Ray Microscopy” was launched, combining the expertise of teams led by Prof. Dr. Gerd Schneider (Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin) and Prof. Dr. Helge Ewers (Freie Universität Berlin). While Ewers’ group contributes its experience in the field of optical microscopy and biological research, the HZB workgroup is responsible for X-ray microscopy at the synchrotron source BESSY II. The two methods help researchers to gain a detailed insight into the processes taking place inside cells.
We are very pleased about the new cooperation with Prof. Ewers’ workgroup. It gives our own activities in this field a much stronger connection to the biological research being done at the university,” says Prof. Dr. Gerd Schneider. The core duties of his department at HZB include making advancements to the x-ray microscopes and lenses at the synchrotron source BESSY II. The active exchange between the new cooperation partners will give a new boost to method development, says Schneider. Prof. Dr. Helge Ewers is also excited about the future-oriented cooperation: “X-ray microscopy opens up entirely new possibilities for us in the research of intracellular processes.”
The joint research group is all about the complementary use of optical and X-ray microscopy. Optical microscopy and super-resolution methods are excellent for locating proteins marked with dye molecules in tissue samples. X-ray microscopy, in turn, allows correlative imaging of the distribution of proteins, viruses or nanoparticles over a relatively large section in high-resolution and three-dimensions. The two microscopy methods thus deliver a comprehensive picture of the intracellular structures and processes.
After a successful upgrade, the X-ray microscope TXM at the synchrotron source BESSY II is now available again to users. Aside from biological studies, which can now be conducted with the combined expertise in the joint research group, the X-ray microscope is used above all for exploring various questions of materials and energy research.
- New instrument at BESSY II: The OÆSE endstation in EMILA new instrument is now available at BESSY II for investigating catalyst materials, battery electrodes and other energy devices under operating conditions: the Operando Absorption and Emission Spectroscopy on EMIL (OÆSE) endstation in the Energy Materials In-situ Laboratory Berlin (EMIL). A team led by Raul Garcia-Diez and Marcus Bär showcases the instrument’s capabilities via a proof-of-concept study on electrodeposited copper.
- Green hydrogen: A cage structured material transforms into a performant catalystClathrates are characterised by a complex cage structure that provides space for guest ions too. Now, for the first time, a team has investigated the suitability of clathrates as catalysts for electrolytic hydrogen production with impressive results: the clathrate sample was even more efficient and robust than currently used nickel-based catalysts. They also found a reason for this enhanced performance. Measurements at BESSY II showed that the clathrates undergo structural changes during the catalytic reaction: the three-dimensional cage structure decays into ultra-thin nanosheets that allow maximum contact with active catalytic centres. The study has been published in the journal ‘Angewandte Chemie’.
- Catalysis research with the X-ray microscope at BESSY IIContrary to what we learned at school, some catalysts do change during the reaction: for example, certain electrocatalysts can change their structure and composition during the reaction when an electric field is applied. The X-ray microscope TXM at BESSY II in Berlin is a unique tool for studying such changes in detail. The results help to develop innovative catalysts for a wide range of applications. One example was recently published in Nature Materials. It involved the synthesis of ammonia from waste nitrates.