P. Tafforeau | European Synchrotron Radiation facility (original) (raw)

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Timothy McHale

California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo

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Papers by P. Tafforeau

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2006

Anthracotheriidae ͉ Chad ͉ Libya ͉ paleobiogeography ͉ early hominids

Microscopy and Microanalysis, 2012

The recent developments of phase-contrast synchrotron imaging techniques have been of great i... more The recent developments of phase-contrast synchrotron imaging techniques have been of great interest for paleontologists, providing three-dimensional (3D) tomographic images of anatomical structures, thereby leading to new paleobiological insights and the discovery of new species. However, until now, it has not been used on features smaller than 5–7 μm voxel size in fossil bones. Because much information is contained within the 3D histological architecture of bone, including an ontogenetic record, crucial for understanding the paleobiology of fossil species, the application of phase-contrast synchrotron tomography to bone at higher resolutions is potentially of great interest. Here we use this technique to provide new 3D insights into the submicron-scale histology of fossil and recent bones, based on the development of new pink-beam configurations, data acquisition strategies, and improved processing tools. Not only do the scans reveal by nondestructive means all of the major features of the histology at a resolution comparable to that of optical microscopy, they provide 3D information that cannot be obtained by any other method.

The fossil record is biased towards biomineralised elements (for example bones, shells and teeth)... more The fossil record is biased towards biomineralised elements (for example bones, shells and teeth) that usually retain their original three-dimensional shape. Non-biomineralised arthropods, often comprising only exoskeletal tissues such as cuticle, are comparatively rare and are usually preserved in two-dimensions (including examples inside early diagenetic concretions). Rarer still are exceptionally preserved fossils that contain replicated soft tissues; although tissues that

Dupret, V., S. Sanchez, D. Goujet, P. Tafforeau, and P. Ahlberg. 2011: Structures crâniennes du p... more Dupret, V., S. Sanchez, D. Goujet, P. Tafforeau, and P. Ahlberg. 2011: Structures crâniennes du plus ancien vertébré à mâchoires (-410 millions d’années) révélé par tomographie synchrotron. 15ème Réunion des Chercheurs Francais en Suède, Tekniska Museet, Stockholm, 2011.

The Anatomical Record, 2014

ABSTRACT 3D visualization of forming organs and tissues in early embryos helps understanding thei... more ABSTRACT 3D visualization of forming organs and tissues in early embryos helps understanding their developmental dynamics. 3D reconstruction of an organ from an image stack requires: (1) a sufficient number of slices in order to obtain smooth contours, and (2) a satisfactory contrast that allows differentiating between tissue layers during segmentation. Based on these principles, satisfactory but very time-consuming techniques are available for manual segmentation and step-by-step 3D reconstructions of small embryonic structures using histology (Viriot et al., 1997, 2000). Usual micro-CT devices available in developmental biology units do not provide the sufficient resolution required to visualize the smaller developing structures at early embryonic stages, such as tooth germs at E11.5. Furthermore, the contrast obtained from soft-tissues is low if high doses of radiation—not supported by small samples—are not used. A recent study (Raj et al., 2014) has shown that synchrotron imaging with a sliver-based contrast agent provides images of embryonic soft-tissues with a resolution of 4–10 micrometers. Here we show that the combination of propagation phase contrast, rapid imaging, phase retrieval and iodine contrast agent allows soft-tissue imaging with a voxel size of 0.695 micrometers and a relatively low radiation dose. This method provides submicronic images where single cells can be individualized.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2006

Anthracotheriidae ͉ Chad ͉ Libya ͉ paleobiogeography ͉ early hominids

Microscopy and Microanalysis, 2012

The recent developments of phase-contrast synchrotron imaging techniques have been of great i... more The recent developments of phase-contrast synchrotron imaging techniques have been of great interest for paleontologists, providing three-dimensional (3D) tomographic images of anatomical structures, thereby leading to new paleobiological insights and the discovery of new species. However, until now, it has not been used on features smaller than 5–7 μm voxel size in fossil bones. Because much information is contained within the 3D histological architecture of bone, including an ontogenetic record, crucial for understanding the paleobiology of fossil species, the application of phase-contrast synchrotron tomography to bone at higher resolutions is potentially of great interest. Here we use this technique to provide new 3D insights into the submicron-scale histology of fossil and recent bones, based on the development of new pink-beam configurations, data acquisition strategies, and improved processing tools. Not only do the scans reveal by nondestructive means all of the major features of the histology at a resolution comparable to that of optical microscopy, they provide 3D information that cannot be obtained by any other method.

The fossil record is biased towards biomineralised elements (for example bones, shells and teeth)... more The fossil record is biased towards biomineralised elements (for example bones, shells and teeth) that usually retain their original three-dimensional shape. Non-biomineralised arthropods, often comprising only exoskeletal tissues such as cuticle, are comparatively rare and are usually preserved in two-dimensions (including examples inside early diagenetic concretions). Rarer still are exceptionally preserved fossils that contain replicated soft tissues; although tissues that

Dupret, V., S. Sanchez, D. Goujet, P. Tafforeau, and P. Ahlberg. 2011: Structures crâniennes du p... more Dupret, V., S. Sanchez, D. Goujet, P. Tafforeau, and P. Ahlberg. 2011: Structures crâniennes du plus ancien vertébré à mâchoires (-410 millions d’années) révélé par tomographie synchrotron. 15ème Réunion des Chercheurs Francais en Suède, Tekniska Museet, Stockholm, 2011.

The Anatomical Record, 2014

ABSTRACT 3D visualization of forming organs and tissues in early embryos helps understanding thei... more ABSTRACT 3D visualization of forming organs and tissues in early embryos helps understanding their developmental dynamics. 3D reconstruction of an organ from an image stack requires: (1) a sufficient number of slices in order to obtain smooth contours, and (2) a satisfactory contrast that allows differentiating between tissue layers during segmentation. Based on these principles, satisfactory but very time-consuming techniques are available for manual segmentation and step-by-step 3D reconstructions of small embryonic structures using histology (Viriot et al., 1997, 2000). Usual micro-CT devices available in developmental biology units do not provide the sufficient resolution required to visualize the smaller developing structures at early embryonic stages, such as tooth germs at E11.5. Furthermore, the contrast obtained from soft-tissues is low if high doses of radiation—not supported by small samples—are not used. A recent study (Raj et al., 2014) has shown that synchrotron imaging with a sliver-based contrast agent provides images of embryonic soft-tissues with a resolution of 4–10 micrometers. Here we show that the combination of propagation phase contrast, rapid imaging, phase retrieval and iodine contrast agent allows soft-tissue imaging with a voxel size of 0.695 micrometers and a relatively low radiation dose. This method provides submicronic images where single cells can be individualized.

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