Short Description
The unique MALDI FT-ICR device with Paracell allows the application of latest technological developments in imaging mass spectrometry.
The representation of molecular distributions in cell assemblies and materials makes it possible to understand basic processes at the molecular level. This type of imaging thus enables (bio) molecules to be visualized in a targeted manner in their cellular arrangements or in materials in order to obtain information about molecular interactions and changes in biological and synthetic materials. Mass spectrometry-based imaging links molecular information with local distribution. In contrast to the other methods, no prior knowledge of the analyte is necessary. In addition, distributions of many unknown species can be determined and displayed in parallel. The high-resolution measurement of molecular masses ( R > 1 Mio) also gives insight into elementary compositions and structures of molecules (identification). A combination of imaging mass spectrometry with laterally high-resolution optical imaging methods enables molecular identification and quantification in the smallest space (nm-µm).
Contact Person
Prof. Dr. Martina Marchetti-Deschmann
Research Services
- High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (resol. > 2 Mio)
- Imaging Mass Spectrometry: visualization of molecular distributions in biological tissue and in material of any kind (e.g. drugs, small molecules, metabolites incl. lipids, proteins, glycans, polymers, ....)
Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure
The MS Imaging team has decades of experience in mass spectrometry and has been working in the field of imaging mass spectrometry since 2003. At the European level, the team has excellent experience in the parallel measurement of many different analytes (metabolites, drugs, lipids, carbohydrates, peptides, proteins, polymers, elements, ...). The device is set up in close proximity to other MS imaging devices that allow other types of ionization and ion separation (desorption electrospray, laser ablation, inductively coupled plasma ionization, secondary ion mass spectrometry, time-of-flight mass analyzers, quadrupoles). The team has excellent experience in dealing with different types of samples and in technology development (from biological tissue to electronics device). The MS Imaging Team is the first group to combine molecular and elementary imaging in a multi-instrument approach and to establish strategies for multimodal imaging that allow the same sample to be measured on different instruments. Analysis pipelines are available for the generation of data from several imaging instruments in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of molecular events, both biologically and material-analytically.