SISSI-Bio: the multipurpose infrared laboratory at Elettra synchrotron facility

SISSI-Bio is the Chemical and Life Sciences branch of the infrared beamline SISSI (Synchrotron Infrared Source for Spectroscopy and Imaging) at Elettra-Sincrotrone, Trieste, Italy. The laboratory has always been kept up-to-date with the latest equipment for Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) analysis and currently hosts three endstations: one for spectroscopy, one for microscopy and one for nanospectroscopy. Although the synchrotron radiation allows for measurements at the diffraction limit over the full IR spectral range, all three end stations can alternatively be operated with benchtop sources, increasing the usage time of the setups beyond the infrared synchrotron radiation availability. In this contribution, the SISSI-Bio equipment will be presented in an integrated manner to highlight the multipurpose capabilities of the laboratory, emphasizing the opportunities for facility users and collaborators to perform cutting-edge scientific experiments. Selected examples, focusing on multi-scale and correlative analyses will be presented, highlighting topics such as cell and tissue analysis for FTIR hyperspectral histology and cytology, strategies for bio-specimen measurements in physiological conditions, environmental science and cultural heritage. The short-term development plans to incur in the field of biophysics in the far-IR and THz region will be also introduced.