title: Rapid, low dose X-ray diffractive imaging of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: Phase-diverse X-ray coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) provides a route to high sensitivity and spatial resolution with moderate radiation dose. It also provides a robust solution to the well-known phase-problem, making on-line image reconstruction feasible. Here we apply phase-diverse CDI to a cellular sample, obtaining images of an erythrocyte infected by the sexual stage of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, with a radiation dose significantly lower than the lowest dose previously reported for cellular imaging using CDI. The high sensitivity and resolution allow key biological features to be identified within intact cells, providing complementary information to optical and electron microscopy. This high throughput method could be used for fast tomographic imaging, or to generate multiple replicates in two-dimensions of hydrated biological systems without freezing or fixing. This work demonstrates that phase-diverse CDI is a valuable complementary imaging method for the biological sciences and ready for immediate application.
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science, Department of Physics, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia. Electronic address: michael.jones@latrobe.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michael W M
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Megan K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Dearnley
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science, Department of Physics, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia.
authors.forename: Grant A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: van Riessen
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science, Department of Physics, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia; Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, Victoria 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abbey
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science, School of Physics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Corey T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Putkunz
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science, Department of Physics, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Junker
authors.affiliation: Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Vine
authors.affiliation: Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA; Centre for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: McNulty
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science, Department of Physics, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia.
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science, Department of Physics, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, Australia; Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Peele
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Leann
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tilley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods; D010271:Parasites / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Biological imaging; Correlative imaging; Diffractive imaging; Phase-diversity; Ptychography