Morgane will be showcasing her work at the BioXAS sector in collaboration with PIs in the filed of environmental, geochemical and interdisciplinary science! If you are at the conference, be sure to stop by.

This CLS wide event will focus on the complimentary nature of hard x-ray fluorescence imaging, mid-infrared spectromicroscopy, synchrotron CT, and soft x-ray mapping techniques. SpecificallyExample biological/health systems measured at the beamlinesExperimental/sample requirementsSpatial resolutionContact for more information :Amanda.Quirk@lightsource.ca

Fast-Scan implementation in Bluesky allows for time-resolved temperature studies on soils containing arsenic, an important contaminant. Prof. Baalousha from the University of South Carolina Environmental Health Sciences Department along with BioXAS beamline staff work together to expand beamline capabilities, developments, and implementation of quick scans to track structural changes in soil using in situ XAS for understanding the impact of wildfire on metals speciation in soils.

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U of S users of the BioXAS beamline studied Th L3 speciation to understand speciation on removal from minerals. Check the paper here.

Using thin metal oxides research at the BioXAS beamline studies the speciation of vanadium oxide for Organic Devices. See details here.

Users of the BioXAS beamline studies Ni and Cu K edges of crystalline metal oxides. See detailed here.

“Our research on how these proteins help plants respond to stress caused by elevated toxic metals in soil has the potential to bring significant benefits to society,” said researcher Macon Abernathy. “These proteins use copper and oxygen to form molecules that the plant can use to combat toxic metals, like cadmium, allowing the plant to survive and thrive in soils that would otherwise result in poor growth.” He is working alongside Ritimukta Sarangi, Jocelyn Richardson, Lisa Mydy, and Roland Kersten on this study. The team is hopeful that their project could offer economic benefits to farmers while also addressing food security concerns. Abernathy and colleagues with the University of Michigan and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource used the BioXAS-Main beamline at the CLS to better understand the copper binding process and how that copper is used to create the molecules that will defend the plant against toxic metals. Their findings could help to develop new strategies for increasing crop metal stress tolerance and lead to higher crop yields. #farming #crops #foodsecurity #agriculture #soil SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

CBC/Radio-Canada #synchrotron Tune in with Dr. Morgane Desmau

#OnTheBeamlines: Around the world, many soils and mine sites are contaminated with the elements copper, chromium, and nickel. Unfortunately, there are few effective on-site methods for removing or immobilizing these contaminants. The chemical form of these elements can dramatically change their toxicity and mobility, and hence, the risk they pose to plants and animals. Researchers from University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources used the CLS to study tailings from an active Canadian gold mine, to determine what chemical form the elements are in. While the concentrations of these elements in the tailings are high enough to be biologically toxic, they are not concentrated enough to be “seen” by many other detection techniques. What they’re learning using our Bio-XAS beamline will help the team make informed predictions and inferences about where these elements can move in the environment, how toxic they will be to a variety of organisms, and how they could be cleaned up. Researcher Levi Lundell (in photo) says their work could eventually lead to finding new ways of restoring contaminated sites to functional, healthy, ecosystems. #environment #mining