Reconstruction of 3D ion beam micro-tomography data for applications in Cell Biology

The DISRA (Discrete Image Space Reconstruction Algorithm) reconstruction code, created by A. Sakellariou, was conceived for the ideal case of complete three-dimensional (3D) PIXET (Particle Induced X-ray Emission Tomography) data. This implies two major difficulties for biological samples: first, the long duration of such experiments and second, the subsequent damage that occurs on such fragile specimens. For this reason, the DISRA code was extended at CENBG in order to probe isolated PIXET slices, taking into account the sample structure and mass density provided by 3D STIMT (Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy Tomography) in the volume of interest. This modified version was tested on a phantom sample and first results on human cancer cells are also presented.