A microanalysis approach to investigate problems encountered in mycology

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Pathogenic fungi pose significant health risks.
• Understanding fungal elemental composition is crucial for developing targeted treatments.
• Advanced analytical techniques are needed for precise chemical analysis of biological samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply X-ray microanalysis for chemical information acquisition in pathogenic fungi.
• To describe the combined scanning electron microscopy and wavelength dispersive spectrometry technique for this purpose.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for high-resolution imaging of fungal structures.
• Employing wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS) for elemental analysis.
• Exciting characteristic X-ray spectra using electron beams for analysis.

Main Results:

• The combined SEM-WDS technique enables sensitive detection of elements.
• Analysis relies on characteristic X-ray spectra generated by electron-sample interaction.
• Crystal spectrometers are used for X-ray wavelength dispersion.

Conclusions:

• X-ray microanalysis, specifically SEM-WDS, is a powerful tool for studying pathogenic fungi.
• The technique allows for the detection of elements above beryllium with good sensitivity.
• This method provides valuable chemical information for mycological research.