Estimation of organic carbon content of extracellular polymeric substances of plant plankton by soft X-ray microscopy

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K00572
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental impact assessment
• Research Institution: Kansai Medical University
• Principal Investigator: KUSUMOTO Kuniko (TAKEMOTO, Kuniko) (竹本邦子) 関西医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (80281509)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YAMAMOTO Akitsugu 長浜バイオ大学, バイオサイエンス学部, 教授 (30174775)
• Research Collaborator: ICHISE Satoshi 滋賀県琵琶湖環境科学研究センター, 環境監視部門, 専門員 ; YOSHIMURA Masashi 立命館大学, 総合科学技術研究機構, 専門研究員
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 軟X線顕微法 / 植物プランクトン / 細胞外代謝物 / X線マイクロCT法 / X線吸収微細構造 / 含有有機物量

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Refractory organic matter is one of the most severe environmental problems of the day in Lake Biwa. The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) derived from plant plankton cells are mainly polysaccharides and proteins. Generally, EPS is a matter that looks clear inside when viewed under an optical microscope. EPS contains a large amount of water. It is difficult to observe EPS with the microscope and to analyze the components of EPS. Soft X-ray microscopy (XM), X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) have been applied to observing and analyzing the cell and EPS and succeeded in identifying a prokaryotic organellar. As a result, we improved the soft X-ray microscopy (XM)-based method for estimating the organic carbon content of EPS.

Free Research Field

軟X線顕微分析