title: Three-dimensional coherent X-ray diffractive imaging of whole frozen-hydrated cells.
abstract: A structural understanding of whole cells in three dimensions at high spatial resolution remains a significant challenge and, in the case of X-rays, has been limited by radiation damage. By alleviating this limitation, cryogenic coherent diffractive imaging (cryo-CDI) can in principle be used to bridge the important resolution gap between optical and electron microscopy in bio-imaging. Here, the first experimental demonstration of cryo-CDI for quantitative three-dimensional imaging of whole frozen-hydrated cells using 8 keV X-rays is reported. As a proof of principle, a tilt series of 72 diffraction patterns was collected from a frozen-hydrated Neospora caninum cell and the three-dimensional mass density of the cell was reconstructed and quantified based on its natural contrast. This three-dimensional reconstruction reveals the surface and internal morphology of the cell, including its complex polarized sub-cellular structure. It is believed that this work represents an experimental milestone towards routine quantitative three-dimensional imaging of whole cells in their natural state with spatial resolutions in the tens of nanometres.
authors: Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: Jose A
authors: JA
authors: Rodriguez
authors: Department of Physics and Astronomy and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Physics, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan.
authors: Chien-Chun
authors: CC
authors: Chen
authors: Carl ZEISS X-ray Microscopy Inc., Pleasanton, CA 94588, USA.
authors: Zhifeng
authors: Z
authors: Huang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People's Republic of China.
authors: Huaidong
authors: H
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: Allan L
authors: AL
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors: Kevin S
authors: KS
authors: Raines
authors: Department of Physics and Astronomy and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Pryor
authors: Department of Physics, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, South Korea.
authors: Daewoong
authors: D
authors: Nam
authors: NSLS-II Photon Sciences Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA.
authors: Lutz
authors: L
authors: Wiegart
authors: Department of Physics, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, South Korea.
authors: Changyong
authors: C
authors: Song
authors: European X-ray Free Electron Laser, Albert-Einstein-Ring 19, Hamburg 22761, Germany.
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Madsen
authors: ESRF, The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, France.
authors: Yuriy
authors: Y
authors: Chushkin
authors: ESRF, The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, France.
authors: Federico
authors: F
authors: Zontone
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: Peter J
authors: PJ
authors: Bradley
authors: Department of Physics and Astronomy and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: Jianwei
authors: J
authors: Miao
keywords: Neospora caninum; X-ray imaging; coherent diffraction; coherent diffractive imaging; cryo-CDI; three-dimensional cellular structure; three-dimensional imaging