Soil microorganisms are key players in transforming plant-derived carbon into soil-locked organic carbon. These microorganisms get vital nutrients from particulate organic matter (POM): leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and dead plant fragments. But what exactly are the biogeochemical interactions among POM, microorganisms, and minerals at their interfaces? It’s a question with important implications for persistent carbon storage — and thus for global climate.
To help answer this and similar queries, Dr. Carsten Müller of the University of Copenhagen designed and supervised a study carried out with Kristina Witzgall, a graduate student at the Technical University of Munich. One primary tool for the investigators: a CAMECA NanoSIMS 50L.
This unique, high-performance ion microprobe / secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) combines exceptional spatial resolution (down to 50 nanometers) with parallel acquisition of seven masses and the ability to complement other imaging techniques. So it’s a unique tool for applications ranging from soil science, materials sciences, life sciences, geology, and cosmochemistry to environmental, nuclear, and semiconductor research.
The study team found they could now directly image the arrangement of soil constituents, witnessing their interactions at the sub-micrometer scale: something impossible before.
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And scope out the possibilities of what a NanoSIMS might accomplish in your lab.