MSIC >> What is Mass Spectrometry Imaging?

Two dimensional ion map of a selected target phospholipid in rat brain acquired using the Protea LAESI DP-1000 System.
Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has become a critical analytical approach for biological investigation of tissues and living populations, such as cell cultures and colonies. This technique provides new information based on molecule-specific images, without the need for labeling, staining or complex sample preparation protocols.

In MSI, the chemical identity of biomarkers or other biomolecules present, for example in a tissue, is investigated as a function of spatial distribution. This paradigm allows accurate distribution profiling of chemical species that may help to understand pathologies or metabolic processes present in the specimen. MSI has the potential to revolutionize biological investigation using objective chemical data indicative of a molecular structure distribution.









…imaging the future of biology