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Single-Cell Metabolomics

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Metabolomics: From Fundamentals to Clinical Applications

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((PMISB,volume 965))

Abstract

The dynamics of a cell is always changing. Cells move, divide, communicate, adapt, and are always reacting to their surroundings non-synchronously. Currently, single-cell metabolomics has become the leading field in understanding the phenotypical variations between them, but sample volumes, low analyte concentrations, and validating gentle sample techniques have proven great barriers toward achieving accurate and complete metabolomics profiling. Certainly, advanced technologies such as nanodevices and microfluidic arrays are making great progress, and analytical techniques, such as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI), are gaining popularity with high-throughput methodology. Nevertheless, live single-cell mass spectrometry (LCSMS) values the sample quality and precision, turning once theoretical speculation into present-day applications in a variety of fields, including those of medicine, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries. While there is still room for much improvement, it is clear that the metabolomics field is progressing toward analysis and discoveries at the single-cell level.

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Abbreviations

3D:

Three dimensional

7-EC:

7-Ethoxycoumarin

CTC:

Circulating tumor cell

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid

ESI:

Electrospray ionization

iMAP:

Integrated microfluidic array plate

LC-MS:

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

LCSMS:

Live single-cell mass spectrometry

MALDI:

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization

MAMS:

Microarrays for mass spectrometry

mRNA:

Messenger ribonucleic acid

MS:

Mass spectrometry

MS/MS:

Tandem mass spectrometry

PDMA:

Polydimethylsiloxane

TA:

Tafluprost acid

TOF:

Time of flight

UV:

Ultraviolet

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Pharmacy, Misr International University, Cairo, Egypt

    Samy Emara, Sara Amer, Ahmed Ali & Yasmine Abouleila

  2. RIKEN, Quantitative Biology Center, Single Cell Mass Spectrometry Lab, 6-2-4 Furue-dai, Suita, Osaka, 565-0874, Japan

    Sara Amer, Ahmed Ali, Yasmine Abouleila, April Oga & Tsutomu Masujima

Authors
  1. Samy Emara
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  2. Sara Amer
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  3. Ahmed Ali
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  4. Yasmine Abouleila
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  5. April Oga
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  6. Tsutomu Masujima
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tsutomu Masujima .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Campinas (UNICAMP) Institute of Chemistry Laboratory of Bioanalytics and Integrated Omics (LaBIOmics), Campinas, Brazil

    Alessandra Sussulini

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Emara, S., Amer, S., Ali, A., Abouleila, Y., Oga, A., Masujima, T. (2017). Single-Cell Metabolomics. In: Sussulini, A. (eds) Metabolomics: From Fundamentals to Clinical Applications. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 965. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47656-8_13

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