May 18, 2017
The identification of essential
chemical elements in the feathers of long-distance migratory seabirds using
advanced X-ray imaging techniques promises new insights into the underlying
physiological processes behind feather growth.
In research published in Nature
Scientific Reports, a team of investigators led by ANSTO biologist Nicholas
Howell and Prof Richard Banati provided evidence of previously unseen spatial
patterns in the distribution of metals that do not appear to be linked to
physical characteristics in the feathers.
Because the patterns are not
linked to pigmentation, thickness or other structural characteristics in the
feathers, the authors suggest another unidentified mechanism may be at work.
"Our collaboration has
produced some remarkable depictions of the feathers that let us see into
complex and pattern-forming, biochemical processes in cells," said Prof
Banati.
High resolution images collected
using the X-ray fluorescence microprobe and Maia spectroscopic detector at the
Australian Synchrotron, revealed independent distribution of zinc, calcium,
bromine, copper and iron.
In this investigation, the
technique was applied to the whole feather, and required no subsampling or
extraction procedures in order to accurately identify elements.
"Using this powerful
instrument and Maia detector, David Paterson and Daryl Howard were able to scan
samples that were several centimetres in length at micron resolution,"
said Howell.
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