Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Imaging (LAESI-MS) for Spatially Resolved Plant Metabolomics

There is increasing demand to bring the level of metabolomics analyses down to the tissue or cell level. Significant progress has been made involving the use of in situ metabolomics imaging techniques where no tissue collection or extraction is needed prior to analysis. In this chapter we describe a relatively new method which is simple and easy to use. No ectopic matrix or vacuum is required, and analyses are performed with living plant materials directly from (or even still attached to) the plant. Although relatively straightforward, there are still a few caveats as regards this method which are described at the end of the chapter.