Hmila I; Hill J; Shalaby K; Ouararhni K; Abedsselem H; Modaresi SMS; Bihaqi SW; Marques E; Sondhi A; Slitt AL. Perinatal exposure to PFOS and sustained high-fat diet promote neurodevelopmental disorders via genomic reprogramming of pathways associated with neuromotor development. Elsevier. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. Feb 2024.

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) provides high-resolution and long-depth-of-field images of the sample surface and nearsurface using an energetic beam of electrons. As an e-beam rasters specimen surface, various signals that contain information about the surface topography and composition are produced as a result of the beam–material interaction. Sketch provides different signals produced as a result of this interaction.

Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is an analytical technique used to study the chemical composition and molecular structure of the surfaces of materials at the nanoscale. It has become an essential tool in the fields of materials science, surface chemistry, and biomedicine, among others. In this technique, a primary ion beam is used to sputter secondary ions from the surface of the sample. These ions are then mass-analyzed based on their time of flight to a detector, providing information on their mass-to-charge ratio and abundance.

Planetary ball milling is a technique for reducing and homogenizing the average particle size of powder samples. This can also be used for mixing different powder samples into a homogenous mixture. This technique is mainly used for preparing samples for powder XRD and XRF. Our laboratory houses two (2) variant models of Retsch planetary ball mills, only differing in the number of ball jars, the volumetric capacity of each ball jar and maximum rotational speed. Both models are capable of storing 10 custom SOP’s, direction reversal and interval operation.

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a powerful analytical technique widely used to determine the chemical composition of a sample. XRF is based on the interaction of X-rays with the electrons of atoms in a sample, which creates a fluorescent Xray with a discrete energy characteristic of the atom and its chemical environment. The emitted X-rays are then measured by a detector, and the intensity and energy of the X-rays provide information about the elements present in the sample.

Ehtewish H, Mesleh A, Ponirakis G, Lennard K, Al Hamad H, Chandran M, Parray A, Abdesselem HA, Wijten P, Decock J, Alajez NM, Ramadan M, Khan S, RAHEEM THAZHE Kuni RAT, Own A, Elsotouhy A, Albagha O, Arredouani A, Blackburn JM, Malik RA, El-Agnaf O. Profiling the Autoantibody Repertoire Reveals Autoantibodies Associated with Mild Cognitive Impairment. 2023. Frontiers in Neurology. Accepted Oct 2023.

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technique is significantly important to develop thin films with a precision of atomistic growth. Such sequentially pulsed process involves the gaseous phase to build a successive monolayer of film on the substrates. In addition, the reactive process also involves the use of hazardous precursor materials. This technique can be marked as Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technique where minimum two gas precursors are required to be pulsed sequentially and precisely inside the deposition chamber. Such process includes both pulse and purges.

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging technique used to study surfaces at the atomic and molecular levels. AFM can observe surfaces that are too small to be seen with traditional microscopy, such as individual atoms or molecules, and has become a vital tool in the field of nanotechnology. The AFM probe consists of a sharp tip attached to a cantilever. The tip is brought close to the sample surface, and the cantilever is deflected by the forces acting on the tip as it scans over the surface in a raster pattern.