Ultrafast Mass Spectrometry Imaging via Laser-Based Mass Spectrometry Microscopy

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) enables the visualization of numerous molecular distributions in tissues and cells, yet it remains highly challenging in balancing spatial resolution, sensitivity, and throughput. Here we report the development of a femtosecond laser desorption laser postionization mass spectrometry microscope (fs-LDPI-MSM) for ultrafast molecular imaging. Unlike conventional microprobe-mode MSI by bypassing time-consuming pixel-by-pixel interrogation, this laser-based MSM system enables imaging all detectable species within merely seconds. Using this platform, we achieve 780 nm imaging resolution, 1.5 pm ablation depth, and amol-level detection limits. Exploiting enhanced ion yields from laser postionization and plasmonic gold nanoparticles, we have visualized the spatial locations of various lipids in mouse and bee brains, and snapshotted the nanoscale spatial distributions of targeted drugs and endogenous compounds within single cells under perturbed microenvironments. The fs-LDPI-MSM shall be a valuable tool for ultrafast molecular imaging, revolutionizing high-throughput MSI for cell biology and biomedical applications.