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MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry is a powerful characterization technique that can identify and separate a wide variety of compounds ranging from chemical to biological entities, based on their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). The instruments that allow this detection, known as mass spectrometers, have three components: an ion source, a mass analyzer, and a detector. These spectrometers differ based on the nature of their ion source and analyzers.Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) is a commonly...

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Visualization of single-cell lipidomes with MALDI-MSI.

Jean Andrea Maillat¹, Nika Goršek¹, Pavel Barahtjan¹

¹Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.

Methods in Enzymology

|February 20, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Single-cell lipidomics using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) reveals cell-to-cell lipid diversity. This advanced technique visualizes lipidomes at single-cell resolution, aiding in understanding cellular identity and disease.

Keywords:

MALDI-MSI lipid heterogeneity single-cell lipidomics spatial metabolomics

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Published on: November 26, 2013

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Cell Biology
Analytical Chemistry

Background:

Lipids are crucial for cellular functions but their distribution is highly variable.
Bulk mass spectrometry methods obscure cellular lipid heterogeneity.
Single-cell lipidomics offers insights into distinct lipid profiles defining cellular states and tissue organization.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and present a workflow for single-cell lipidomics.
To enable label-free, spatially resolved detection of endogenous lipids at cellular precision.
To advance the study of lipid localization and metabolic diversity.

Main Methods:

Integration of optimized matrix deposition for matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI).
High-resolution acquisition and optical co-registration for precise spatial analysis.
Minimal sample perturbation to preserve lipid integrity.

Main Results:

Demonstrated pronounced cell-to-cell variability in lipid composition.
Revealed coherent lipid domains within neighboring cells in tissue samples.
Achieved label-free, spatially resolved lipid detection with cellular resolution.

Conclusions:

The developed MALDI-MSI workflow provides a robust and scalable strategy for single-cell lipid visualization.
This approach bridges the gap between lipid localization and metabolic diversity.
Advances lipidomics for studying cellular identity, tissue organization, and disease mechanisms.