Development and aplication of high resolution imaging techniques for morphological characterization of microfossils

• Grant number: 15/21810-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2016
• End date: September 01, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geophysics
• Principal Investigator: Douglas Galante
• Grantee: Lara Maldanis Cerqueira Peres
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/25681-9 - Development and application of high-resolution imaging techniques for morphological and chemical characterization of microfossils, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The current proposal aims the development and application of high resolution imaging techniques for morphological studies of microfossils. Many structures proposed as the first microfossils to appear on the geological record still have their biogenicity under debate. Besides, the biological affinities of these microfossils are difficult to be obtained with limited access to the original characteristics of the organisms, due to imperfect preservation and technical limitations. This problem is very clear in the attempts of identification of the first eukaryotes in the fossil record, which is still a matter of debate on the literature. Nowadays, many imaging techniques are being applied in paleontology, however, microfossils pose new challenges, as they demand sub-micrometric (even nanometric) resolution and contrast generation with materials with very slight variations on composition and organization. Coherent diffraction imaging techniques (CDI), such as ptychography, are considered as promising to be applied in nano-resolution tridimensional studies of fossils, and the goal of the present proposal is to develop, apply, and compare different high-resolution imaging techniques on the study of microfossils, contributing to the still open questions on this field, regarding the morphology of these structures, and of the organisms that originated them. The main focus of the current proposal will be on the development of ptychography and tomographic ptychography, including the sample preparation, imaging acquisition, data reconstruction and treatment on synchrotron-based experiments, which will be compared to benchtop-based microtomography and microscopy. Most of the experiments will be performed using the facilities available at CNPEM and at collaborating institutions, such as at the SOLEIL synchrotron.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CALLEFO, FLAVIA; RICARDI-BRANCO, FRESIA; PACHECO, MIRIAN LIZA ALVES FORANCELLI; CARDOSO, ALEXANDRE RIBEIRO; NOFFKE, NORA; TEIXEIRA, VERONICA DE CARVALHO; NECKEL, ITAMAR TOMIO; MALDANIS, LARA; BULLOCK, EMMA; BOWER, DINA; et al. Evidence for metabolic diversity in Meso-Neoproterozoic stromatolites (Vazante Group, Brazil). Frontiers in Earth Science, v. 10, p. 18-pg., 2022-07-22. (16/06114-6, 15/21810-6, 20/02537-5, 21/05083-8)

MALDANIS, L.; HICKMAN-LEWIS, K.; VEREZHAK, M.; GUERIAU, P.; GUIZAR-SICAIROS, M.; JAQUETO, P.; TRINDADE, R. I. F.; ROSSI, A. L.; BERENGUER, F.; WESTALL, F.; et al. Nanoscale 3D quantitative imaging of 1.88 Ga Gunflint microfossils reveals novel insights into taphonomic and biogenic characters. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 10, n. 1, MAY 18 2020. (15/21810-6, 16/25681-9, 16/06114-6)

CALLEFO, FLAVIA; MALDANIS, LARA; TEIXEIRA, VERONICA C.; DE OLIVEIRA ABANS, RODRIGO ADRIAN; MONFREDINI, THIAGO; RODRIGUES, FABIO; GALANTE, DOUGLAS. Evaluating Biogenicity on the Geological Record With Synchrotron-Based Techniques. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, v. 10, OCT 11 2019. (16/25681-9, 15/21810-6)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

PERES, Lara Maldanis Cerqueira. 3D X-ray imaging of Precambrian microfossils: evaluating biogenicity at the nanoscale with ptychographic X-ray computed tomography. 2019. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC/BT) São Carlos.