Abstract
Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) is a useful tool for multi-element analysis. "Bio-PIXE" is a method optimized for biological samples containing large amount of C, N and O. In this presentation, we introduce the fundamentals of PIXE analysis and our study on the elemental composition of microalgae. In three species of marine microalgae (a calcifying haptophyte, Emiliania huxleyi, a non-calcifying haptophyte, Isochrysis galbana and a green alga, Dunaliella tertiolecta), 14 elements were quantified with high reliability in samples incinerated with nitric acid. The analysis revealed that E. huxleyi highly concentrated Ca, Sr, Mn and Se in comparison with other two species and the concentration factor of Se (only E. huxleyi essentially requires Se in these species) was 1600. The increase in contents of S and Mn in E. huxleyi cells during Se-deficient culture was clearly observed. Thus, Bio-PIXE is suitable to examine the behavior of various elements in cells simultaneously.
