IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY
AND SOIL HEALTH
Climate change is intensifying global food scarcity,
with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) projecting that up to 183 million
additional people could face hunger by 2050.
ESRF-EBS’s improved brilliance provides scientists
with powerful tools to tackle this challenge.
At beamline ID21, a 10-fold speed boost and higher
resolution makes X-ray imaging and spectroscopy
a game-changer for probing soil health and nutrient
uptake in crops. Innovative beamline optics, including
a next-generation double-crystal monochromator,
a new microscope with 100 nm resolution, and
advanced X-ray fluorescence detectors, enhance
beam stability, detection limits, and acquisition speed.
EBS SCIENCE
Zinc mediates control of nitrogen fixation via transcription
factor filamentation J Lin et al Nature 631 164169
2024
Operando investigations of the solid electrolyte interphase
in the lithium mediated nitrogen reduction reaction NH
Deissler et al Energy Environ Sci 17 34823492 2024
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XRF (Zn)
Xray fluorescence microscopy at ESRF beamline ID21
mapped lower cellular zinc levels in Lotus plant root
nodules 24 hours after nitrate treatment Colour bar
represents normalised ZnK Xray fluorescence intensity
Image courtesy of ref 1
These capabilities allow researchers to capture
chemical processes faster, in finer detail, and
from larger sample zones than before, generating
richer, statistically stronger datasets for more
reliable conclusions. For example, sub-micron-
resolution X-ray fluorescence at ID21 has revealed
how zinc controls nitrogen fixation in plants,
guiding strategies to optimise nitrogen delivery in
legumes and boost crop productivity. Additionally,
at beamline ID31, operando X-ray scattering
has shown how nitrogen can be activated and
transformed more efficiently with reduced energy
use – a crucial step towards greener ammonia
production for agricultural fertilisers.
By resolving nutrient uptake and chemical
transformations at the molecular level, ESRF-
EBS research helps further the development of
sustainable fertilisers and farming practices, vital
for improving crop resilience and safeguarding
global food supplies in a changing climate.
20 μm 20 μm