Complementing X-ray and MS based techniques in studies of trace elements in biological systems

1. Biotechnical faculty, Dept. of biology, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana
2. Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana
3. Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana
4. National Institute for Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1001 Ljubljana
5. University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska 13, 5000 Nova Gorica
6. FOM Institute AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, Netherlands

Trace elements are essential components of biological structures, but at the same time they can be toxic at concentrations beyond those necessary for their biological functions. In addition, the toxicity can be extended to other non-essential elements of very similar atomic characteristics that can mimic the properties of a trace element. Trace element malnutrition affects more than half of the world’s population, while on the other hand industrialization, traffic and extensive use of fertilizers have resulted in exceedingly high concentrations of non-essential elements in food crops, posing risks to human health. In order to be able to develop and improve phyto-technologies that enable production of safe and quality food, knowledge on the basic mechanisms involved in trace and non-essential element uptake, transport, accumulation and ligand environment in plants is needed.

Such studies are now-days supported by highly sophisticated techniques (micro-PIXE, SR-micro-XRF, LA-ICPMS, (micro)-XAS, TOF-SIMS and MeV-SIMS) enabling imaging of element distribution and speciation in plant tissues and cells with high spatial resolution and sensitivity, as well as imaging of organic molecules that play a role in metal detoxification and are altered due to metal toxicity. Selected case studies of metal distribution and speciation in selected model plant species, achieved by interdisciplinary work, will be presented.