Product
SXT-100
Soft X-ray Microscope
The SXT-100 Soft X-ray Microscope produces nanometre-resolution 3D-images of fully hydrated, intact cells. Patented compact laser-produced plasma illumination brings synchrotron-quality imaging to your lab.
The Unique Lab-based Solution for Imaging Subcellular Structures
The SXT-100’s compact, lab-friendly design enables workflows that were previously unachievable.
Organelles, such as mitochondria, lipid bodies, nuclear membrane, nucleoli, chromatin, and liposomes are readily distinguishable.
Grid-mounted samples can be fast-screened through the in-built widefield fluorescent microscope and turnkey correlated with the soft X-ray images.
Up to ten microns of biological samples can be imaged without needing to slice or otherwise destroy the sample.
Intact samples can then flow straight into complementary electron microscopy methods. The SXT-100 is a truly unique and powerful instrument for visualising the internal structure of biological cells and tissues.
Features
Core Features of the SXT-100 X-ray Microscope
Large Field of View
Our full field illumination scheme permits an imaging field of view of about 30μm x 30μm at high magnification.
Full Tilt Tomography
Our cryo stage permits 180° rotation of cylindrical sample geometries which avoids missing wedge artefacts associated with limited rotation.
Multiple Sample Holders
The SXT-100 provides unique dual grid or capillary sample mounting capability as well as compatibility with a range of other industry wide sample holders.
Automated Workflows
Our intuitive user interface guides the user through automated workflows from cell screening to data acquisition to final data processing.
Biosafe Lab Compatibility
Its compact footprint and heat contamination function allows the SXT-100 to be placed in a specialised biosafe containment facility for the safe and efficient study of contagious pathogens.
SiriusXT’s patented technology delivers a beam of broadband illumination covering the approximate wavelength range from 2 nm to 8 nm in a compact footprint.
An industry standard pulsed laser is focused onto a solid Molybdenum target. The laser-target interaction generates a plasma which excites the relevant transitions within the target. The plasma source diameter is about 10 µm, allowing for efficient coupling into downstream x-ray optics.
A grazing incidence mirror collects the plasma radiation and delivers it towards the microscope. Our unique source concept includes a debris mitigation scheme, which keeps the collector mirror clean during continuous operation. Debris mitigation on the laser input side allows a high NA lens to be placed inside the source vacuum chamber, ensuring a small, bright plasma source.
The broadband source radiation is delivered towards the condenser chamber which includes a multilayer turning mirror wavelength selection, permitting narrow band sample illumination. A Cr/Ti mirror reflects efficiently at 455 eV (2.73 nm) with E/dE ~ 340.
A second grazing incidence ellipsoidal mirror, the condenser, collects the light from the multilayer and focuses it to the sample.
A standard X-ray CCD camera, with 2048 x 2048 pixels, sits on a variable magnification rail.
Multiple beam diagnostic points between source and sample allow fast and efficient beam alignment prior to imaging.
Applications
Benefits of the SXT-100
X-ray Microscope
With an imaging resolution of ca. 50 nm, a field of view of 30 µm x 30 µm and a depth of imaging of ca. 10 µm, the SXT-100 fills a gap between light and electron microscopy.
The SXT-100 can be used to visualise complex 3D networks (such as mitochondria) in whole cells, to capture rare events, and to provide quantitative information (such as organelle size and surface area). It can produce organelle maps to address phenotypic changes in cells, viral remodelling of cells during infection, nanoparticle-cell interactions, or structural changes in response to environmental conditions or genetic mutations, amongst many others.
Tissue structures can also be probed in the SXT-100 by imaging bulk slabs of tissue that have been extracted from high-pressure frozen blocks by cryo-lift-out techniques. Full-tilt tomography can be performed on cylindrical pillars of fully-hydrated tissue, also extracted from high-pressure frozen blocks and placed sample-mounting pins compatible with the SXT-100.
SXT can be combined with both fluorescence and electron microscopy. Whole cells imaged by the SXT-100 can be transferred to a FIB and further thinned for cryoEM/ET. In this sense the SXT-100 can be used for unbiased, high resolution targeting of ROI’s , and/or to add valuable whole cell context to EM datasets.
Rare events and untagged structures can be identified in SXT data, which might otherwise be missed by relying on fluorescent imaging alone. The unbiased views offered by SXT are also a superb indicator of cell viability.
SXT-100™ Product Specification
Advanced cellular imaging platform delivering 30nm resolution with integrated X-ray and fluorescence capabilities.
- Operating wavelength: 2.73 nm (455 eV)
- Polarisation state: Unpolarised
- Image field of view: 30 μm (at 900X magnification)
- Magnification: Adjustable (depends on objective lens)
- Zone plate objective: dr=35 nm (matching condenser NA = 0.039)
- Image resolution (3D): ~50 nm (full pitch)
- Image acquisition time: <2 hours (per 121 2D projections)
- Detector: Back-illuminated X-ray CCD, 2k×2k pixels, 13.5 μm pixels, 16 bit
- Raw data format: *.fits
- Configuration: Epi-fluorescence @90° to X-ray axis
- Objective: User specified, long working distance
- Channels: 5-channels: DAPI, GFP, RFP, Cy5, Cy7
- Sample support: Standard 3 mm carbon coated TEM grid, Ultrathin-walled glass capillary
- Sample tilt range: +60° to -60° (grids), +90° to -90° (capillaries)
- Sample type: Typical. adherent cells, 3 μm to 8 μm thick (grids), Suspended cells 10 μm or less (capillaries)
- Sample state: Typical. Vitrified, by plunge freezing or HPF
- Electrical power: 8 kW
- Cooling water: <16°C @ 15 L/min
- Lab temperature: 21 +/- 1°C
- Lab humidity: <50%
- Gas Supply: Ar or N₂ (N6.0 Certified)
- Min. Lab area/dimensions (approx): 30 m² (320 ft²) or 5 m × 6 m
- Microscope dimensions (L×W×H): 3 m × 2 m × 1.5 m (2.5 m high with lid open)
- Control racks: 0.5 m × 0.5 footprint (×2)
- Desks/tables: 1 standard desk for operator, 1 standard lab table for cryo transfers tools
- Vacuum infrastructure: Backing pump in separate room, Exhaust pipe to outdoors
- Electrical and ethernet infrastructure: 4 × 20 A rings, 4 ethernet connection points
Let’s Connect
Get in Touch with SiriusXT
Interested in a demo or consultation?
Contact our team to learn how the SXT-100 can advance your research.
