Correlative Multimodal Mass Spectometry Imaging - Imaging Across the Scales

Abstract

Correlative multimodal imaging refers to the correlation of imaging data collected from a sample by two or more instruments. These data sets create a holistic view of the specimen and insights into structure, function, and (bio-)chemical compositions. The field of correlated multimodal imaging has been dominated by methods using microscopic approaches like optical imaging or electron microscopy. By the time mass spectrometry imaging was developed into an accurate, reproducible high-throughput method delivering superb sensitivity and outstanding specificity for elemental and molecular species, it became evident that the potential to combine mass spectrometry with other setups is high. This chapter summarizes multimodal imaging approaches for mass spectrometry and covers the combination of different desorption/ionization techniques (e.g. LA-ICP/MALDI, SIMS/MALDI, DESI/MALDI) and mass analyzers (e.g. TOF/Orbitrap), the contribution to in vivo imaging, and introduces imaging pipelines spanning multiple orders of magnitude in terms of lateral and spatial resolution (the nm to mm scale). The combinations discussed include hardware-fused instrumentation as well as workflows for one sample being measured on separate instruments. The combination of MS with optical imaging, vibrational spectroscopy, electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, or lightsheet fluorescence microscopy are presented, to name only a few.