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A Mass Spectrometry Primer for Mass Spectrometry Imaging

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Mass Spectrometry Imaging

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 656))

Abstract

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), a rapidly growing subfield of chemical imaging, employs mass spectrometry (MS) technologies to create single- and multi-dimensional localization maps for a variety of atoms and molecules. Complimentary to other imaging approaches, MSI provides high chemical specificity and broad analyte coverage. This powerful analytical toolset is capable of measuring the distribution of many classes of inorganics, metabolites, proteins, and pharmaceuticals in chemically and structurally complex biological specimens in vivo, in vitro, and in situ. The MSI approaches highlighted in this Methods in Molecular Biology volume provide flexibility of detection, characterization, and identification of multiple known and unknown analytes. The goal of this chapter is to introduce investigators who may be unfamiliar with MS to the basic principles of the mass spectrometric approaches as used in MSI. In addition to guidelines for choosing the most suitable MSI method for specific investigations, cross-references are provided to the chapters in this volume that describe the appropriate experimental protocols.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Kevin Tucker for helpful discussion of the chapter and Stephanie Baker for her help with the manuscript preparation. This material is based on work supported by Award No. P30DA018310 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIDA or the National Institutes of Health.

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Correspondence to Stanislav S. Rubakhin .

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Rubakhin, S.S., Sweedler, J.V. (2010). A Mass Spectrometry Primer for Mass Spectrometry Imaging. In: Rubakhin, S., Sweedler, J. (eds) Mass Spectrometry Imaging. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 656. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-746-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-746-4_2

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60761-745-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60761-746-4

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