Ward, MB, Kapitulčinová, D, Brown, AP et al. (5 more authors) (2013) Investigating the role of microbes in mineral weathering: Nanometre-scale characterisation of the cell-mineral interface using FIB and TEM. Micron, 47. 10 - 17. ISSN 0968-4328
Abstract
Focused ion beam (FIB) sample preparation in combination with subsequent transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis are powerful tools for nanometre-scale examination of the cell-mineral interface in bio-geological samples. In this study, we used FIB-TEM to investigate the interaction between a cyanobacterium (Hassallia byssoidea) and a common sheet silicate mineral (biotite) following a laboratory-based bioweathering, incubation experiment. We discuss the FIB preparation of cross-sections of the cell mineral interface for TEM investigation. We also establish an electron fluence threshold (at 200. keV) in biotite for the transition from scanning (S)TEM electron beam induced contamination build up on the surface of biotite thin sections to mass loss, or hole-drilling within the sections. Working below this threshold fluence nanometre-scale structural and elemental information has been obtained from biotite directly underneath cyanobacterial cells incubated on the biotite for 3 months. No physical alteration of the biotite was detected by TEM imaging and diffraction with little or no elemental alteration detected by STEM-energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) elemental line-scanning or by energy filtered TEM (EF-TEM) jump ratio elemental mapping. As such we present evidence that the cyanobacterial strain of H. byssoidea did not cause any measurable alteration of biotite, within the resolution limits of the analysis techniques used, after 3 months of incubation on its surface.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Micron. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Micron, 47, (2013) DOI 10.1016/j.micron.2012.12.006 |
Keywords: | Biotite; Cell-mineral interface; Cyanobacteria; FIB; TEM; Weathering |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Chemical & Process Engineering (Leeds) > Institute for Materials Research (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 05 Dec 2014 13:55 |
Last Modified: | 22 Apr 2015 09:13 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2012.12.006 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.micron.2012.12.006 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:81479 |