- You are here:
-
Home
-
News, Events & Publications
- Latest News
- Details
A Monash-led group of geoscientists used the macromolecular crystallography beamline (MX2) Australian Synchrotron to help them determine the atomic structure of a new mineral discovered in a volcanic area of Far Eastern Russia.
The research, which was published in American Mineralogist by Prof Joel Brugger of Monash and collaborators from Australia and Russia may provide insight into the processes responsible for the geochemical evolution of Earth.
The authors reported that an analysis of Nataliyamalikite was challenging because of the small size of single crystals, composite nature of larger aggregates and the extreme light sensitivity of the mineral and the surrounding sulfur matrix.
Nataliyamalikite grains could not be isolated using optical microscopy.
X-ray powder diffraction measurements on microcrystals of Nataliyamalikite at 100 K indicated that the structure was orthorhombic.
The mineral which has only two atoms, thallium and iodide, in the asymmetrical unit cell, is considered to be a distorted version of rock salt.
The beam diameter was reduced to 7.5 nanometres by a collimator at the Australian Synchrotron MX2 micro-focus beamline to match the crystal size of the micro-aggregates of Nataliyamalikite, which were extracted from the amorphous sulfur matrix by focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy.
MX2 beamline scientist Dr Jason Price assisted in processing the beamline data, which was compared with a synthetic equivalent.
Electron backscatter diffraction at Monash and in Russia confirmed an orthorhombic crystal lattice of the mineral at ambient conditions.
The thallium-rich Nataliyamalikite forms in high temperature fumaroles, (thermal openings in areas surrounding a volcano) as a component of arsenic and sulfur-rich coating on lava and scoria around the vents.
In the paper, the authors also provided a description of the process that give rise to concentrations of thallium, leading to the formation of Nataliyamalikite.
Read more on the Monash website.
- Details
More than 40 science and engineering graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early career researchers from across the Asia-Oceania region attended the first Asia Oceania Forum (AOF) Synchrotron Radiation School in early June hosted by the ANSTO at the Australian Synchrotron and supported by the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE).
The participants, who are interested in pursuing a career in synchrotron radiation-related fields, had the opportunity to attend a range of lectures and take part in practical sessions on six of the ten beamlines at the Australia Synchrotron.
Those who attended the week-long school came from China, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India, Singapore, New Zealand and within Australia to learn more about the theory and applications of synchrotron radiation for a wide range of science and technology research.
“We were greatly pleased by the level of interest in synchrotron technologies, which are proving to be invaluable across a range of applications and delighted to share Australian and international expertise with the group,” said Prof Richard Garrett, Senior Advisor, Strategic Projects, ANSTO, who was Co-Chair of the school with Dr Mike James, Head of Science at the Australian Synchrotron.
Guest lecturers travelled to Australia from South Korea and the US.
In addition to a general introduction to synchrotron radiation, light source, beamlines, and detectors, the curriculum included sessions on the techniques used on the Australian Synchrotron beamlines, such as medical imaging, powder X-ray diffraction, and micro fluorescence.
At the conclusion of the lectures and practical sessions, participants gave presentations based on their beamline investigations.
“Actual hands on experience with the beamlines is invaluable for planning research projects and understanding the tremendous analytical capabilities of the instruments,” said Dr James.
The Asia Oceania Forum for Synchrotron Radiation Research (AOFSRR) is an association of the eight synchrotron operating and user nations in the Asian region: China, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India, Singapore and Australia,. Its mission is to strengthen regional cooperation in, and to promote the advancement of, synchrotron radiation research. Three additional countries are associate members: New Zealand, Malaysia and Vietnam.
ANSTO has had a close association with the AOFSRR since its inception in 2006, when it operated the Australian Synchrotron Research Program which joined the Forum as a foundation member representing Australia. Since 2012 ANSTO has served as financial manager of the AOFSRR, to facilitate the payment of membership fees by the eight full member nations.
The main activities of the AOFSRR are to organise an annual workshop and an annual synchrotron school. The Japanese SPring8 facility hosted the school, then known as the Cheiron School, from 2007 until 2015. This has now been replaced by the AOF Synchrotron School which will rotate among the 8 member countries. The next school will be held in South Korea, followed by Thailand.
- Details
Advanced imaging reveals unusual, unseen patterns in seabird feathers
The identification of essential chemical elements in the feathers of long-distance migratory seabirds using advanced X-ray imaging techniques promises new insights into the underlying physiological processes behind feather growth.
In research published in Nature Scientific Reports, a team of investigators led by ANSTO biologist Nicholas Howell and Prof Richard Banati provided evidence of previously unseen spatial patterns in the distribution of metals that do not appear to be linked to physical characteristics in the feathers.
Because the patterns are not linked to pigmentation, thickness or other structural characteristics in the feathers, the authors suggest another unidentified mechanism may be at work.
“Our collaboration has produced some remarkable depictions of the feathers that let us see into complex and pattern-forming, biochemical processes in cells,” said Prof Banati.
High resolution images collected using the X-ray fluorescence microprobe and Maia spectroscopic detector at the Australian Synchrotron, revealed independent distribution of zinc, calcium, bromine, copper and iron.
In this investigation, the technique was applied to the whole feather, and required no subsampling or extraction procedures in order to accurately identify elements.
“Using this powerful instrument and Maia detector, David Paterson and Daryl Howard were able to scan samples that were several centimetres in length at micron resolution,” said Howell.
X-ray fluorescence microscopy allows you to view hard biological structures in their natural state. The detector system speeds up the scanning of the sample in real time and delivers data at unprecedented resolution.
The images, which have previously unachieved sensitivity and resolution, provide a distribution map of a range of chemical elements in the feather.
Understanding the development of bird feathers is important for understanding the evolution of birds, formation of organs, tissue regeneration and the health status of individual animals.
The findings also have significant potential application more broadly in developmental biology.
“The same basic biochemical mechanisms that allow feathers to develop in birds are at work in other animals and humans, “said Howell.
For example, the identification of a distinct, repetitious pattern in the concentration of zinc in all samples was of particular interest.
Zinc is an essential element in birds for growth, the formation of enzymes, the development of the skeleton and a range of physiological functions.
These zinc bands resembled but were not related to distinct growth bands.
The exact mechanism that leads to the regular deposits of zinc is unknown but the scientists noticed that the number of zinc bands appears to be the same as the number of days the feather grows, e.g. the duration of the moulting period.
“We do not have entirely accurate data on the rate of feather growth in a migratory seabird, which needs to be observed under conditions of the animal’s natural life-cycle,” said Howell.
“Nonetheless, such highly regular, biological patterns hold important information , because similar to tree rings , they are a natural time stamp that records events during the growth of these patterns.” said Howell.
Therefore, the patterns in the feathers may be useful in assessing the bird’s health and nutritional status retrospectively, in the way that tree rings indicate past environmental events, such as droughts and floods.
The feathers came from three species of migratory shearwaters, birds that are known to travel over 60,000 kilometres per year on their migration to breeding areas.
Mr Howell said none of the work would have been possible without the painstaking field work in remote locations.
Single breast and wing feathers from the fleshfooted, streaked and short-tailed shearwater were collected on Lord Howe Island, several Japanese islands and Bundeena Beach (NSW) under the direction of co-author Dr Jennifer Lavers of the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania.
“It is very difficult to image and measure metals in biological samples, but it is something we can do with a variety of techniques at ANSTO using X-rays, neutrons and isotopes,” said Howell.
Last year, a similar approach was used to detect and measure strontium in the vertebrae of sharks.
The study revealed that the strontium correlated with the age of the individual and allowed age to be determined without reference to growth bands.
