An In-House X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer Development for In Vivo Analysis of Plants

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Santos, Eduardo ; Gozetto, Jonatha Demetrio ; de Almeida, Eduardo ; Brasil, Marcos Augusto Stolf ; da Silva, Nicolas Gustavo da Cruz ; Rezende, Vinicius Pires ; da Silva, Higor Jose Freitas Alves ; Brandao, Julia Rosatto ; Montanha, Gabriel Sgarbiero ; Lavres, Jose ; de Carvalho, Hudson Wallace Pereira

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ACS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY; v. 4, n. 4, p. 7-pg., 2024-04-01.

Abstract

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) is an analytical technique employed to determine the elemental composition of diverse materials. Due to its nondestructive nature and direct analysis that requires little or no sample preparation, it has been particularly useful for investigating the mineral composition of plants and soil. However, commercially available XRF benchtop equipment often restricts this type of experiment in plant science due to the volume of the sample chamber and the source-detector geometry. To overcome this problem, we developed an XRF setup that prioritizes in vivo-based experiments. The equipment is equipped with a 4 W Ag X-ray tube and a silicon drift detector. The detection limits are comparable to those of commercial instruments and suitable for evaluating plant tissues. Finally, a case study using tomato plants as a model species and rubidium (Rb+) and strontium (Sr2+) as tracers for potassium (K+) and calcium (Ca2+), respectively, demonstrated their feasibility for long-term in vivo analysis. Therefore, the present XRF system stands out as a viable and cost-effective tool for assessing the absorption and transport of minerals in plant tissues probed by time-resolved in vivo X-ray spectroscopy. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 20/07721-9 - Time-resolved element mapping and characterization of storage proteins during soybean seeds development: a bottom-up strategy to increase protein content and quality
• Grantee: Gabriel Sgarbiero Montanha
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 20/11546-8 - Efficiency of foliar application of different sources of calcium in tomatoes: understanding and bypassing low phloem mobility
• Grantee: Eduardo Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 15/19121-8 - Multi-User Equipment approved in grant 2015/05942-0: micro X-Ray Fluorescence system
• Grantee: Hudson Wallace Pereira de Carvalho
• Support Opportunities: Multi-user Equipment Program
• FAPESP's process: 22/10718-5 - Characterization of calcium foliar absorption and its translocation by tomato plants using strontium as a physiological tracer
• Grantee: Eduardo Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate