Katie is in the 3rd year of her DPhil at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on the localisation of important trace elements in cereal grains at high resolution using NanoSIMS and is in collaboration with Rothamsted Research. Prior to this she obtained a MEng degree in Materials Science at Oxford.

NanoSIMS Analysis of Arsenic and Selenium in Cereal Grains

Trace elements are an important part of our diet, both beneficially and detrimentally. Understanding where they are located in crops will help improve diets and avoid exposure to potentially poisonous contamination. Selenium deficiency is a major problem in the UK with the majority of the population  consuming about half their recommended daily amount. Conversely the flooding of rice paddy fields in areas such as Bangladesh with arsenic contaminated water has resulted in rice containing significant amounts of this toxic and carcinogenic element.

The NanoSIMS is a state-of-the-art microscope capable of high resolution chemical imaging (down to 50nm) with the ability to detect low elemental concentrations (ppm levels). This presentation will show how NanoSIMS can be used to investigate the location of two key trace elements, arsenic and selenium, in rice and wheat grains, respectively, which is a serious analytical challenge for any other technique.

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