I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Atal
Pande
,
Lucille
Rose
,
Sam J.
England
,
Imran
Rahman
,
Ricardo
Pérez-De La Fuente
,
Andrew J.
Bodey
,
Kaz
Wanelik
,
Christian M.
Schlepütz
,
Jonathan
Günther
,
Christoph
Rau
,
Alexander
Blanke
,
Lauren
Sumner-Rooney
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[20721, 32952, 17205]
Open Access
Abstract: Vision is one of the most important senses used by animals and contributes to fundamental behaviors, including foraging, navigation, and mate detection and selection.1 Although much is known about how eye position and orientation correlate to ecology in the context of binocularity,2 animals with multipartite visual systems (more than two eyes) remain comparatively neglected. Spiders are highly successful predators that occupy a range of ecological niches and usually possess eight eyes. Here, we use three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and evolutionary modeling to test whether eye positions, orientations, and interocular angles correlate with hunting strategies in 52 species across the spider phylogeny. We demonstrate that eye configurations diversified from an ancestral medial cluster, as seen in modern trapdoor spiders, to a halo-like configuration in orb-weavers, and to the frontal clustering of eyes in several members of derived spider lineages. We show that visual hunters have the highest disparity and evolutionary rates in the configuration of their eyes but display a distinct morphological signature with multiple eye pairs concentrated at the front of the carapace. Moreover, we quantify the extent to which eye configuration is modular and show that the position and orientation of the eye pairs evolve semi-independently of each other. Our findings demonstrate that modularity in the spider visual system facilitates not only the specialization of individual eyes but also the whole architecture of the visual system, in line with different hunting strategies, body plans, and ecological niches.
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Jul 2026
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DIAD-Dual Imaging and Diffraction Beamline
I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Sarah
Davidson
,
Davide
Simone
,
Kathrin
Jansen
,
Max
Cowan
,
Caio
Machado
,
Ian
Reekie
,
Ananya
Bhalla
,
Rowie
Borst
,
Cesar
Prada Medina
,
Joshua
Bull
,
Zhi Yi
Wong
,
Sarah
Hill
,
Micon
Garvilles
,
Sam
Pledger
,
Patricia Reis
Nisa
,
Nora Rebecca
Schwingen
,
Dylan
Windell
,
Moustafa
Attar
,
Catherine
Disney
,
Andrew J.
Bodey
,
Alissa
Parmenter
,
Helen
Byrne
,
Sharif
Ahmed
,
Shashidhara
Marathe
,
Peter
Lee
,
Chris
Mahony
,
Adam P.
Croft
,
Stephen
Sansom
,
Mark C.
Coles
,
Christopher D.
Buckley
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[30542, 34348]
Open Access
Abstract: The cellular basis for site-specific inflammation remains unclear. In human fingers, proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints are preferentially affected by inflammatory arthritis, whereas distal interphalangeal joints are spared, providing a model to investigate the predilection of inflammation to distinct sites. Here we combine single-cell RNA sequencing, imaging and X-ray tomography to examine cellular composition, spatial organization and structure of finger joints during fetal development. PIP joints had a larger synovial volume and were enriched for PI16+ ‘universal’ fibroblasts. These cells were located in perivascular regions and at developing tendon–ligament interfaces. PI16+ fibroblasts exhibited both a shared inflammatory and cell-type-specific response to cytokine stimulation, suggesting that the combination of their spatial location and transcriptional responses promote inflammation. We suggest that differences in the stoichiometry of mesenchymal cells established in utero, including the key role of PI16+ fibroblasts, is a general principle that drives inflammation susceptibility across tissues.
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Jun 2026
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[19526]
Open Access
Abstract: Rocks form in three dimensions through time and studying them gives us access to the interior of dynamic systems we can’t otherwise observe. Yet how we typically access the interior of rocks to gain that information may restrict insight, and influence how we reconstruct the processes that formed them. We demonstrate combined non-destructive 3D X-ray imaging techniques that produce quantitative densitometric and crystallographic maps of entire individual grains inside a rock. Olivine grains throughout a sample of the carbonaceous chondrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 11346 were each characterized by size, shape, composition, zoning intensity, and crystallographic orientation. The addition of 3D crystallographic mapping to calibrated 3D densitometric analysis—used to calculate composition—demonstrates a fully non-destructive petrographic method and provides unique insight. For instance, in our case, using crystallographic data to delineate individual grains and then measuring the 3D size, shape and composition of each distinguishes variably reset relict grains from those later crystalized after a melting event. Intersection in a 2D slice could not have led to this interpretation because the integration of three-dimensional size, rounding, composition, location and crystallographic orientation measured from each grain form the key patterns. Multimodal laboratory X-ray imaging has strong potential to advance 3D petrography.
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Apr 2025
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Abstract: The evolution of the first plant dominated terrestrial ecosystems some ∼450 million years ago [1, 2] had a profound effect on the soil development, shifts in fluvial sedimentary environments through diverse below-ground stabilization strategies [3, 4], and changes in global biogeochemical cycles, notably drawdown of CO2 from the atmosphere [5, 6]. In some part these shifts were due to biologically mediated weathering of soil grains. Cryptogamic Ground Covers (CGCs) serve as modern analogous examples of these early plant ecosystems, and are composed of a varied assortment of bryophyte plants (liverworts, hornworts, mosses), fungi, cyanobacteria, lichens, and algae. Importantly, these can be studied to understand the nano-to-macro scale weathering processes that are occurring within CGCs, with a view to understanding better the processes that might have been occurring in the geologic past and that are missing from the sedimentological/fossil record. Some of these processes include nutrient acquisition from grains by symbiotic (and other) organisms, such as mycorrhizal fungi. Many features have been identified in modern examples, including direct interactions (e.g., tunnel formation due to biomechanical forcing and mining) and indirect interactions (e.g., biological secretions, exudates, and root- and soil gas- mediated dissolution) [7, 8]. However, the majority of these are from conventional 2D observations of thin sections using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy and fail to consider the whole feature in 3D.
Here, we use a combination of 3D X-ray Microscopy (XRM) and synchrotron X-ray microtomography (sr-µCT) to better understand the structure of said tunnel features in 3D, with a view to characterizing their morphology, and interpreting their origin. We use a multi-scale imaging approach on basaltic agglomerate and rhyolite regolith grain types to better understand the features, and compare the fully rendered 3D features with those in 2D ‘digital thin sections’ (or the slices reconstructed from the 3D data). These results will not only aid in recognizing analogous features in the fossil record, but potentially also in sample return missions from extraterrestrial bodies.
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Jul 2024
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Alexandra D.
Buffry
,
John P.
Currea
,
Franziska A.
Franke-Gerth
,
Ravindra
Palavalli-Nettimi
,
Andrew J.
Bodey
,
Christoph
Rau
,
Nazanin
Samadi
,
Stefan J.
Gstöhl
,
Christian M.
Schlepütz
,
Alistair P.
Mcgregor
,
Lauren
Sumner-Rooney
,
Jamie
Theobald
,
Maike
Kittelmann
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[25391]
Open Access
Abstract: Background: Insects have evolved complex visual systems and display an astonishing range of adaptations for diverse ecological niches. Species of Drosophila melanogaster subgroup exhibit extensive intra- and interspecific differences in compound eye size. These differences provide an excellent opportunity to better understand variation in insect eye structure and the impact on vision. Here we further explored the difference in eye size between D. mauritiana and its sibling species D. simulans. Results: We confirmed that D. mauritiana have rapidly evolved larger eyes as a result of more and wider ommatidia than D. simulans since they recently diverged approximately 240,000 years ago. The functional impact of eye size, and specifically ommatidia size, is often only estimated based on the rigid surface morphology of the compound eye. Therefore, we used 3D synchrotron radiation tomography to measure optical parameters in 3D, predict optical capacity, and compare the modelled vision to in vivo optomotor responses. Our optical models predicted higher contrast sensitivity for D. mauritiana, which we verified by presenting sinusoidal gratings to tethered flies in a flight arena. Similarly, we confirmed the higher spatial acuity predicted for Drosophila simulans with smaller ommatidia and found evidence for higher temporal resolution. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that even subtle differences in ommatidia size between closely related Drosophila species can impact the vision of these insects. Therefore, further comparative studies of intra- and interspecific variation in eye morphology and the consequences for vision among other Drosophila species, other dipterans and other insects are needed to better understand compound eye structure–function and how the diversification of eye size, shape, and function has helped insects to adapt to the vast range of ecological niches.
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Mar 2024
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[13488]
Open Access
Abstract: In this paper, we used synchrotron X-ray radiography and tomography to study in operando conditions the growth dynamics of the primary Al3Ni intermetallic phases in an Al-15wt%Ni alloy in the solidification process with magnetic pulses of up to 1.5 T. The real-time observations clearly revealed the growth dynamics of the intermetallics in time scale from millisecond to minutes, including phase growth instability, side branching, fragmentation and orientation alignment under different magnetic fluxes. A multiphysics numerical model was also developed to calculate time-evolved Lorentz forces and stresses acting on the Al3Ni phases and the nearby melt. The differential forces between the growing Al3Ni phases and the nearby melt can create slip dislocations at the growing crystal front which can be further developed into nm and μm crystal steps for initiating phase branching. Furthermore, the magnitudes of the shear stresses are strongly related to the size, morphological and geometric features of the growing Al3Ni phases. Dependent on the magnitude of the shear stresses, phase fragmentation could occur in a single pulse period or in multiple pulse periods via fatigue mechanism. The combined real-time experimental observation and modelling work allowed us to elucidate some of the long-time debated hypotheses concerning intermetallic phases growth instability and phase fragmentation in pulse magnetic fields.
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Dec 2023
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Ziyang
Ning
,
Guanchen
Li
,
Dominic L. R.
Melvin
,
Yang
Chen
,
Junfu
Bu
,
Dominic
Spencer-Jolly
,
Junliang
Liu
,
Bingkun
Hu
,
Xiangwen
Gao
,
Johann
Perera
,
Chen
Gong
,
Shengda D.
Pu
,
Shengming
Zhang
,
Boyang
Liu
,
Gareth O.
Hartley
,
Andrew J.
Bodey
,
Richard I.
Todd
,
Patrick S.
Grant
,
David E. J.
Armstrong
,
T. James
Marrow
,
Charles W.
Monroe
,
Peter G.
Bruce
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[23980]
Abstract: All-solid-state batteries with a Li anode and ceramic electrolyte have the potential to deliver a step change in performance compared with today’s Li-ion batteries1,2. However, Li dendrites (filaments) form on charging at practical rates and penetrate the ceramic electrolyte, leading to short circuit and cell failure3,4. Previous models of dendrite penetration have generally focused on a single process for dendrite initiation and propagation, with Li driving the crack at its tip5,6,7,8,9. Here we show that initiation and propagation are separate processes. Initiation arises from Li deposition into subsurface pores, by means of microcracks that connect the pores to the surface. Once filled, further charging builds pressure in the pores owing to the slow extrusion of Li (viscoplastic flow) back to the surface, leading to cracking. By contrast, dendrite propagation occurs by wedge opening, with Li driving the dry crack from the rear, not the tip. Whereas initiation is determined by the local (microscopic) fracture strength at the grain boundaries, the pore size, pore population density and current density, propagation depends on the (macroscopic) fracture toughness of the ceramic, the length of the Li dendrite (filament) that partially occupies the dry crack, current density, stack pressure and the charge capacity accessed during each cycle. Lower stack pressures suppress propagation, markedly extending the number of cycles before short circuit in cells in which dendrites have initiated.
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Jun 2023
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[16557]
Open Access
Abstract: Achilles tendon rupture is a common debilitating medical condition. The healing process is slow and can be affected by heterotopic ossification (HO), which occurs when pathologic bone-like tissue is deposited instead of the soft collagenous tendon tissue. Little is known about the temporal and spatial progression of HO during Achilles tendon healing. In this study we characterize HO deposition, microstructure, and location at different stages of healing in a rat model. We use phase contrast-enhanced synchrotron microtomography, a state-of-the-art technique that allows 3D imaging at high-resolution of soft biological tissues without invasive or time-consuming sample preparation. The results increase our understanding of HO deposition, from the early inflammatory phase of tendon healing, by showing that the deposition is initiated as early as one week after injury in the distal stump and mostly growing on preinjury HO deposits. Later, more deposits form first in the stumps and then all over the tendon callus, merging into large, calcified structures, which occupy up to 10% of the tendon volume. The HOs were characterized by a looser connective trabecular-like structure and a proteoglycan-rich matrix containing chondrocyte-like cells with lacunae. The study shows the potential of 3D imaging at high-resolution by phase-contrast tomography to better understand ossification in healing tendons.
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Jun 2023
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Maximilian
Ackermann
,
Jan C.
Kamp
,
Christopher
Werlein
,
Claire L.
Walsh
,
Helge
Stark
,
Verena
Prade
,
Rambabu
Surabattula
,
Willi
Wagner
,
Catherine
Disney
,
Andrew J.
Bodey
,
Thomas
Illig
,
Diana J.
Leeming
,
Morten A.
Karsdal
,
Alexandar
Tzankov
,
Peter
Boor
,
Mark P.
Kuhnel
,
Florian P.
Länger
,
Stijn E.
Verleden
,
Hans M.
Kvasnicka
,
Hans H.
Kreipe
,
Axel
Haverich
,
Stephen M.
Black
,
Axel
Walch
,
Paul
Tafforeau
,
Peter D.
Lee
,
Marius M.
Hoeper
,
Tobias
Welte
,
Benjamin
Seeliger
,
Sascha
David
,
Detlef
Schuppan
,
Steven J.
Mentzer
,
Danny D.
Jonigk
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[27025, 27094]
Open Access
Abstract: Background: COVID-19 is characterized by a heterogeneous clinical presentation, ranging from mild symptoms to severe courses of disease. 9–20% of hospitalized patients with severe lung disease die from COVID-19 and a substantial number of survivors develop long-COVID. Our objective was to provide comprehensive insights into the pathophysiology of severe COVID-19 and to identify liquid biomarkers for disease severity and therapy response. Methods: We studied a total of 85 lungs (n = 31 COVID autopsy samples; n = 7 influenza A autopsy samples; n = 18 interstitial lung disease explants; n = 24 healthy controls) using the highest resolution Synchrotron radiation-based hierarchical phase-contrast tomography, scanning electron microscopy of microvascular corrosion casts, immunohistochemistry, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging, and analysis of mRNA expression and biological pathways. Plasma samples from all disease groups were used for liquid biomarker determination using ELISA. The anatomic/molecular data were analyzed as a function of patients’ hospitalization time. Findings: The observed patchy/mosaic appearance of COVID-19 in conventional lung imaging resulted from microvascular occlusion and secondary lobular ischemia. The length of hospitalization was associated with increased intussusceptive angiogenesis. This was associated with enhanced angiogenic, and fibrotic gene expression demonstrated by molecular profiling and metabolomic analysis. Increased plasma fibrosis markers correlated with their pulmonary tissue transcript levels and predicted disease severity. Plasma analysis confirmed distinct fibrosis biomarkers (TSP2, GDF15, IGFBP7, Pro-C3) that predicted the fatal trajectory in COVID-19. Interpretation: Pulmonary severe COVID-19 is a consequence of secondary lobular microischemia and fibrotic remodelling, resulting in a distinctive form of fibrotic interstitial lung disease that contributes to long-COVID.
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Nov 2022
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[19322]
Open Access
Abstract: In-line phase contrast synchrotron tomography combined with in situ mechanical loading enables the characterisation of soft tissue micromechanics via digital volume correlation (DVC) within whole organs. Optimising scan time is important for reducing radiation dose from multiple scans and to limit sample movement during acquisition. Also, although contrasted edges provided by in-line phase contrast tomography of soft tissues are useful for DVC, the effect of phase contrast imaging on its accuracy has yet to be investigated. Due to limited time at synchrotron facilities, scan parameters are often decided during imaging and their effect on DVC accuracy is not fully understood. Here, we used previously published data of intervertebral disc phase contrast tomography to evaluate the influence of i) fibrous image texture, ii) number of projections, iii) tomographic reconstruction method, and iv) phase contrast propagation distance on DVC results. A greater understanding of how image texture influences optimal DVC tracking was obtained by visualising objective function mapping, enabling tracking inaccuracies to be identified. When reducing the number of projections, DVC was minimally affected by image high frequency noise but with a compromise in accuracy. Iterative reconstruction methods improved image signal-to-noise and consequently significantly lowered DVC displacement uncertainty. Propagation distance was shown to affect DVC accuracy. Consistent DVC results were achieved within a propagation distance range which provided contrast to the smallest scale features, where; too short a distance provided insufficient features to track, whereas too long led to edge effect inconsistencies, particularly at greater deformations. Although limited to a single sample type and image setup, this study provides general guidelines for future investigations when optimising image quality and scan times for in situ phase contrast x-ray tomography of fibrous connective tissues.
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Nov 2022
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