NUCLEAR MICROSCOPY IN THE LIFE SCIENCES

The growing need for elemental microanalysis in the life sciences has seen the development of several powerful analytical techniques over th e last decade. The techniques of nuclear microscopy, laser microprobe mass analysis, and secondary ion mass spectromtery are briefly describ ed, and advantages and disadvantages for the analysis of biological ti ssue are discussed in each case. There are several ways in which the n uclear microscope and its associated techniques can be optimised in or der to achieve the optimum performance for the analysis of biological tissue, and some of these improvements are outlined. Lastly, a brief r eview of recent applications of nuclear microscopy (nuclear microprobe analysis) in the life sciences held is presented.