Session: Advances in Mass Spectrometry:

Pneumatically sprayed nanoparticles (NPs) present new opportunities for neurotransmitter (NT) and small molecule detection in mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). Proof-of-concept experiments have established that a broad class of NTs and other small molecules can be ionized using NPs. Five day post-fertilization zebrafish embryos were imaged and several important method issues determined: (i) there is high reproducibility with multiple imaging runs over the same tissue area, (ii) there is reproducibility after overnight storage in the freezer and without further NP application, and (iii) overall the sample preparation is very flexible regarding spraying conditions for AuNPs. Additional MSI results suggest that significant improvements in ionization efficiency and analyte delocalization can be observed over traditional organic matrices (e.g., SA, DHB, and CHCA). SCiLS and R Studio were used to computationally compare numerous of these preparation conditions and show a significant difference in reproducibility, favoring the use of NPs. Unsupervised learning techniques thus far have benefitted from the reduction in background chemical noise with the use of NPs.

Angela Hudock

Appearances