Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
09:26
Cellular Lipid Extraction for Targeted Stable Isotope Dilution Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis
Published on: November 17, 2011
16.6K
Single-cell lipidomics: performance evaluation across four liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) systems
Johanna von Gerichten1, Kyle D G Saunders1, Matt Spick2
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
The Analyst
|September 25, 2025
Summary
Single-cell lipidomics using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) is now achievable on accessible platforms. Advanced techniques like polarity switching and ion mobility spectrometry improve lipidome coverage and identification confidence from individual cells.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Single-cell lipidomics offers insights into diseases like cancer and diabetes.
- Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) is a standard lipidomics method.
- Applying LC-MS to single cells is challenging due to low sample volume and lipid complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- Advocate for wider adoption of single-cell lipidomics.
- Demonstrate LC-MS platform accessibility for single-cell lipid profiling.
- Assess achievable lipidome coverage and annotation depth.
Main Methods:
- Utilized four distinct LC-MS instrumental configurations.
- Employed polarity switching for broader lipid detection.
- Incorporated ion mobility spectrometry and electron-activated dissociation for enhanced analysis.
Main Results:
- Confirmed that accessible LC-MS platforms can generate single-cell lipid profiles.
- Demonstrated enhanced lipidome coverage and identification confidence.
- Showcased the benefits of advanced techniques for single-cell analysis.
Conclusions:
- Single-cell lipidomics is feasible and valuable for understanding cellular lipid heterogeneity.
- Accessible LC-MS platforms coupled with advanced techniques can overcome previous limitations.
- This work supports the broader implementation of single-cell lipidomics in research and diagnostics.
