Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Complex Microbial Communities
Sage J B Dunham1, Joanna F Ellis1, Bin Li1
1Department of Chemistry and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
Accounts of Chemical Research
|December 22, 2016
Summary
Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) provides crucial chemical and spatial data for microbial systems. Further advancements in MSI will establish it as a fundamental tool across science, medicine, and industry.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has advanced significantly over two decades for visualizing molecular distributions in tissues and cells.
- MSI offers multiplexed, chemically specific data, complementing genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics.
- Microbial systems, including biofilms and colonies, rely on complex chemical interactions vital for survival and ecosystem influence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current state of microbial mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) technology.
- To highlight applications demonstrating MSI's potential in microbiology.
- To identify challenges and future directions for microbial MSI development.
Main Methods:
- Adaptation of existing MSI methodologies for microbial sample analysis.
- Application of common MSI ionization techniques to image microbial systems.
- Integration of chemical and spatial information for microbial ecology studies.
Main Results:
- MSI is valuable for studying chemical interactions within and between microbes, and with hosts.
- Existing workflows enable imaging of diverse microbial communities using various MSI ionization methods.
- Significant potential exists for MSI to reveal complex microbial chemical processes.
Conclusions:
- MSI is well-positioned to provide essential chemical and spatial insights into complex microbial systems.
- Continued development in instrumentation, sample preparation, and data interpretation is needed.
- Microbial MSI is poised to become a fundamental tool in various scientific, medical, and industrial fields.
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