Journal Article

MuscleX‐DI: an integrated data analysis package for X‐ray scanning diffraction imaging experiments

Jiratrakanvong, Jiranun, Nabon, Jules, Agam, Gady, Orgel, Joseph, Miskin, Nikhil, Huo, Ran, Nikseresht, Grant, Madhurapantula, Rama S., Irving, Thomas C.

2026

Overview

X‐ray scanning diffraction can be used to raster‐scan tissues to elucidate structural organization and other physical properties. A comprehensive data analysis package targeted to take raster X‐ray diffraction (XRD) scans is vital in integrating data at multiple length and resolution scales. MuscleX‐DI is an open‐source software suite designed for the analysis and visualization of scanning XRD data. Developed in Python and compatible with multiple operating systems, MuscleX‐DI provides an end‐to‐end pipeline for processing diffraction patterns and generating 2D visualizations of calculated measurements. The software supports both a graphical user interface and a command‐line interface, offering tools for calibration, masking, azimuthal and radial integration, and heatmap generation. By streamlining the analysis of large XRD datasets, MuscleX‐DI facilitates the extraction of structural information from heterogeneous samples, enabling new insights into tissue architecture and biomolecular organization. The scanning diffraction methodology can be applied to study complex tissues and assemblies at various length scales. Example applications include characterizing myelin organization in brain tissue and observing improved drug availability in tumors when used with ECM‐degrading enzymes. MuscleX‐Diffraction Imaging (MuscleX‐DI) is an integrated, open‐source software suite for data reduction and visualization of scanning X‐ray diffraction (XRD) experiments. It is developed in Python and runs on Linux, Microsoft Windows or macOS. MuscleX‐DI offers an end‐to‐end software analysis pipeline that ingests diffraction patterns and raster scan parameters to generate 2D visualizations of various calculated measurements from raw XRD patterns. Modules can be run via a graphical user interface or in a `headless mode' from the command line. We provide an overview of the general structure of the MuscleX‐DI software package.

• Publisher: International Union of Crystallography,John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subject: Animals / Data Analysis / Diffraction patterns / Graphical user interface / Line interfaces / Myelin / Physical properties / Python / Raster / Raster scanning / scanning diffraction imaging / Software / Software packages / synchrotron radiation / X-ray diffraction / X-Ray Diffraction - methods