Unmet Need
Raman spectroscopy is a sensitive technique that provides the overall molecular vibrational signature of a sample. Its nondestructive nature has made it possible for in vivo imaging of cells and other small organisms. Furthermore, advances in this field have made high resolution mapping, known as Raman spectroscopy imaging (RSI), possible. However, the current set-up is slow and cumbersome, and lacks detailed information on specific molecular information. Conversely, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful analytical technique that can reveal the molecular distribution of hundreds of molecules in one single run.
Current advancements have improved the overall speed making a typical MALDI imaging run less than one hour. Nonetheless, MALDI MSI cannot analyze live samples, is more destructive than RSI, and is yet to reach submicron resolution commercially. The strengths and weaknesses of RSI and MSI reveal a strong compatibility of these two techniques. Currently, most experiments that take advantage of these two techniques require two separate samples, one for RSI and another for MSI. Therefore, there is a strong need for a novel approach that may consolidate the strengths of both techniques into a functional approach that can collectively analyze one sample.
Technology Overview
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed a novel workflow that allows for the same sample to be analyzed with Raman spectroscopy imaging as well as MALDI mass spectrometry imaging. This novel invention produces a combined approach that reduces sample requirements and overall sample preparation time, making it possible to effectively run combined RSI-MALDI MSI experiments on precious samples.
Stage of Development
Data is available.
Publication
Yang E. RaMALDI: Enabling simultaneous Raman and MALDI imaging of the same tissue section. Biosens Bioelectron. 2023 Nov 1;239:115597. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115597. Epub 2023 Aug 12. PMID: 37597501; PMCID: PMC10544780.
