Chapter 8: Applications of Nuclear Analytical Techniques for Iron-omics Studies

Modern nuclear analytical techniques (NATs), including neutron activation analysis (NAA), Mössbauer spectroscopy, proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) spectroscopy, synchronous radiation (SR) based analytical techniques and isotope-based techniques, have been successfully utilized as important tools for iron-omics studies for understanding the mechanisms of iron metabolism implicated in physiology, pathology, toxicology and pharmacology. NATs could be applied for both element bulk analysis and chemical speciation studies. For instance, SR-based method and PIXE for iron mapping at tissue, cellular and sub-cellular levels, NAA for iron quantification, Mössbauer spectroscopy for giving chemical, structural and magnetic information, have been commonly used for iron-omics studies. Furthermore, for speciation and iron-omics studies at molecular levels, a variety of physical, chemical or biological separation procedures, such as chromatography and electrophoresis, have been developed in combination with the NATs. With advantages of high sensitivity, high accuracy, sufficient detection limits, no interferences from other components and economical operating costs, iron metabolism could be studied at the tissue, cellular, subcellular or even molecular level by NATs independently or by NATs combining with pre-separation procedures. The advance of these analytical techniques will significantly increase our understanding of the roles of iron in various physiological and pathological conditions.