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Feasibility of imaging living cells at subnanometer resolutions by ultrafast X-ray diffraction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2008

Magnus Bergh ,
Gösta Huldt ,
Nicusor Tîmneanu ,
Filipe R. N. C. Maia  and
Janos Hajdu
Magnus Bergh
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Gösta Huldt
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Nicusor Tîmneanu
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Filipe R. N. C. Maia
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Janos Hajdu*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park, CA, USA
*
*Author for correspondence: J. Hajdu, Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Box 596, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden. Tel.:+46-18-4714449; Fax: +46-18-511755; Email: janos@xray.bmc.uu.se
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Abstract

Detailed structural investigations on living cells are problematic because existing structural methods cannot reach high resolutions on non-reproducible objects. Illumination with an ultrashort and extremely bright X-ray pulse can outrun key damage processes over a very short period. This can be exploited to extend the diffraction signal to the highest possible resolution in flash diffraction experiments. Here we present an analysis of the interaction of a very intense and very short X-ray pulse with a living cell, using a non-equilibrium population kinetics plasma code with radiation transfer. Each element in the evolving plasma is modeled by numerous states to monitor changes in the atomic populations as a function of pulse length, wavelength, and fluence. The model treats photoionization, impact ionization, Auger decay, recombination, and inverse bremsstrahlung by solving rate equations in a self-consistent manner and describes hydrodynamic expansion through the ion sound speed. The results show that subnanometer resolutions could be reached on micron-sized cells in a diffraction-limited geometry at wavelengths between 0·75 and 1·5 nm and at fluences of 1011–1012 photons μm−2 in less than 10 fs. Subnanometer resolutions could also be achieved with harder X-rays at higher fluences. We discuss experimental and computational strategies to obtain depth information about the object in flash diffraction experiments.

Type
Review Article
Information
Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics , Volume 41 , Issue 3-4 , November 2008 , pp. 181 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

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