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Updated: Sep 15, 2025

Imaging Metals in Brain Tissue by Laser Ablation - Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry LA-ICP-MS
Published on: January 22, 2017
AutoSpect: an all-in-one software solution for automated processing of LA-ICP-TOF-MS datasets
Andrew M Crawford1,2,3, David Z Zee1,2,3, Qiaoling Jin4
1Department of Microbiology, Genetics, Immunology, Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA macrenar@msu.edu ohallor8@msu.edu crawf472@msu.edu.
None:
LA-ICP-TOF-MS provides rapid, high resolution elemental analysis of biological and non-biological samples. However, accurate real-time data analysis frequently requires the user to account for several instrumental and experimental variables that can change during data acquisition. AutoSpect is a novel software tool designed to automate the processing and fitting of LA-ICP-TOF-MS data, addressing key challenges such as time-dependent spectral drift, instrument sensitivity drift, calibration inaccuracies, and peak deconvolution, enabling researchers to rapidly and accurately process complex datasets. The tool is optimized to be robustly applicable across scientific fields (e.g., geochemistry, biology, and materials science), providing a streamlined solution for end users seeking to maximize the potential of LA-ICP-TOF-MS for high-resolution elemental mapping and isotopic analysis.
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