| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949508 | Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids | 2011 | 9 Pages |
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is a powerful tool that enables the simultaneous detection and identification of biomolecules in analytes. MALDI-imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) is a two-dimensional MALDI-MS technique used to visualize the spatial distribution of biomolecules without extraction, purification, separation, or labeling of biological samples. This technique can reveal the distribution of hundreds of ion signals in a single measurement and also helps in understanding the cellular profile of the biological system. MALDI-IMS has already revealed the characteristic distribution of several kinds of lipids in various tissues. The versatility of MALDI-IMS has opened a new frontier in several fields, especially in lipidomics. In this review, we describe the methodology and applications of MALDI-IMS to biological samples. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Lipodomics and Imaging Mass Spectrometry.
Research Highligths► MALDI-IMS is becoming an essential tool for molecular imaging of biological samples. ► It can facilitate the discovery of characteristic molecules in regions of interest. ► Here we showed that many great advances have already been made with MALDI-IMS.
