Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Fluorescence-Guided Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization with Laser-Induced Postionization Mass Spectrometry of Individual Rat Neural Cells
08:48

Fluorescence-Guided Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization with Laser-Induced Postionization Mass Spectrometry of Individual Rat Neural Cells

Published on: May 23, 2025

Lipid detection, identification, and imaging single cells with SIMS.

Michael L Heien1, Paul D Piehowski, Nicholas Winograd

  • 1Department of Chemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|August 4, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) enables submicrometer mapping of lipids on single cells. Cluster ion sources enhance ionization, improving the detection and analysis of biomolecules for biological applications.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

spammR: an R package designed for analysis and integration of spatial multi-omic measurements.

Bioinformatics advances·2026
Same author

Repurposing the liquid-based Pap test for the detection of ovarian cancer protein biomarkers.

Clinical proteomics·2026
Same author

Integrated proteogenomic and metabolomic profiling of acute myeloid leukemias to identify molecular subtypes and associated therapy targets.

Nature cancer·2026
Same author

Correlating Molecule Counts with Stress Granule Size Using Novel Platinized Carbon Nanopore Electrodes.

Analytical chemistry·2026
Same author

Electrochemical measurements at human iPSC-derived FOXA2 dopaminergic neurons suggest a role for partial release in presynaptic plasticity.

QRB discovery·2026
Same author

Current status and future perspectives on the mechanistic and pathophysiological understanding of long COVID.

Communications medicine·2026

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) offers submicrometer resolution for surface molecule mapping.
  • Biological applications often focus on membrane lipids like phospholipids and cholesterol.
  • Low signal intensity from biomolecules can limit the effectiveness of chemical mapping.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the utility of ToF-SIMS for imaging lipids in single cells.
  • To describe methods for sample preparation, data collection, and lipid analysis.
  • To demonstrate lipid identification and concentration mapping on cell surfaces.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) for chemical mapping.

More Related Videos

Applications of the Single-probe: Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Single Cell Analysis under Ambient Conditions
15:00

Applications of the Single-probe: Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Single Cell Analysis under Ambient Conditions

Published on: June 14, 2016

LipidUNet-Machine Learning-Based Method of Characterization and Quantification of Lipid Deposits Using iPSC-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium
06:16

LipidUNet-Machine Learning-Based Method of Characterization and Quantification of Lipid Deposits Using iPSC-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Published on: July 28, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Fluorescence-Guided Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization with Laser-Induced Postionization Mass Spectrometry of Individual Rat Neural Cells
08:48

Fluorescence-Guided Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization with Laser-Induced Postionization Mass Spectrometry of Individual Rat Neural Cells

Published on: May 23, 2025

Applications of the Single-probe: Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Single Cell Analysis under Ambient Conditions
15:00

Applications of the Single-probe: Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Single Cell Analysis under Ambient Conditions

Published on: June 14, 2016

LipidUNet-Machine Learning-Based Method of Characterization and Quantification of Lipid Deposits Using iPSC-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium
06:16

LipidUNet-Machine Learning-Based Method of Characterization and Quantification of Lipid Deposits Using iPSC-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Published on: July 28, 2023

  • Employing cluster ion sources to enhance ionization and signal intensity.
  • Analyzing lipid distribution in rat oligodendrocytes and Tetrahymena thermophila.

    • Main Results:

    • Demonstrated successful lipid imaging at the single-cell level using ToF-SIMS.
    • Obtained detailed information on lipid identity and concentration across cell surfaces.
    • Showcased the improved data acquisition enabled by cluster ion sources.

    Conclusions:

    • ToF-SIMS, particularly with cluster ion sources, is a powerful tool for single-cell lipid analysis.
    • The described methods facilitate the study of lipid distribution in complex biological systems.
    • This technique provides insights into cellular lipid composition and spatial organization.