Cryogenic and radioprotective viability for synchrotron ExXRM

Establish whether imaging at cryogenic temperature and incorporation of radioprotective reagents into expansion microscopy hydrogels can prevent bubble formation and minimize radiation damage during synchrotron X-ray microscopy of expanded, hydrogel-embedded brain tissue, thereby enabling stable implementation of expansion X-ray microscopy at synchrotron beamlines.

Background

The paper highlights that synchrotron X-ray beams can induce bubble formation in hydrated samples, leading to destruction of tissue structures. To mitigate this, the author proposes cryogenic imaging and radioprotective reagents as potential strategies but notes that their effectiveness within expanded hydrogel-embedded tissues has not been demonstrated.

This uncertainty directly affects the feasibility of translating the laboratory demonstration of expansion X-ray microscopy (ExXRM) to the much faster synchrotron XRM modality, which is essential for large-scale, high-throughput connectomics. Establishing the protective efficacy of cryogenic conditions and radioprotectants is therefore a pivotal step toward practical synchrotron-based ExXRM.