Title: Chemical and topographical single‐cell imaging by near‐field desorption mass spectrometry

Authors: Zhibin Yin,  Xiaoling Cheng,  Rong Liu,  Xiaoping Li,  Le Hang,  Wei Hang, Jingyi Xu,  Xiaomei Yan, Jianfeng Li , Zhongqun Tian

Abstract:

Simultaneous acquiring chemical and topographical information within a single cell at nanoscale resolutions is vital to cellular biology, yet it remains a great challenge for current techniques due to limited lateral resolutions and detection sensitivities. Here we report the development of near‐field desorption mass spectrometry for correlated chemical and topographical imaging, thereby bridging the gap between laser‐based MS methods and multimodal single‐cell imaging. Using this integrated platform, imaging resolution of 250 nm and 3D topographically reconstructed chemical single‐cell imaging were achieved. This technique offers more in‐depth cellular information than is currently possible with micrometre‐range laser‐based MS imaging methods. Considering the simplicity and compact size of the near‐field device, this technique can be introduced to matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization MS, expanding the multimodal abilities of MS at nanoscale resolutions across wide disciplines.