Cryogenic OrbiSIMS Localizes Semi-Volatile Molecules in Biological Tissues

Area of Science:

• Mass spectrometry imaging
• Biomolecular analysis
• Cryogenic techniques

Background:

• OrbiSIMS enables label-free chemical imaging with micron spatial and high mass resolution.
• Current limitations include suboptimal detection of certain biomolecules and limited chemical coverage.

Observation:

• A cryogenic workflow (Cryo-OrbiSIMS) was developed for OrbiSIMS.
• This workflow significantly boosts ionization yield and reduces ion-beam induced fragmentation.

Findings:

• Cryo-OrbiSIMS greatly improves the detection of lipids like triacylglycerides.
• It expands chemical coverage to include semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and free fatty acids.
• Novel localization patterns of SVOCs in diverse tissues were revealed with high spatial and chemical resolution.

Implications:

• Cryo-OrbiSIMS enables detailed molecular mapping across plant, animal, and human tissues.
• It can be integrated with genetic analysis to identify enzymes involved in SVOC metabolism.
• This technique offers broad applicability in biomedicine for imaging diverse non-volatile and semi-volatile molecules.