title: Biological tissue imaging with a position and time sensitive pixelated detector.
abstract: We demonstrate the capabilities of a highly parallel, active pixel detector for large-area, mass spectrometric imaging of biological tissue sections. A bare Timepix assembly (512 × 512 pixels) is combined with chevron microchannel plates on an ion microscope matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI TOF-MS). The detector assembly registers position- and time-resolved images of multiple m/z species in every measurement frame. We prove the applicability of the detection system to biomolecular mass spectrometry imaging on biologically relevant samples by mass-resolved images from Timepix measurements of a peptide-grid benchmark sample and mouse testis tissue slices. Mass-spectral and localization information of analytes at physiologic concentrations are measured in MALDI-TOF-MS imaging experiments. We show a high spatial resolution (pixel size down to 740 × 740 nm(2) on the sample surface) and a spatial resolving power of 6 μm with a microscope mode laser field of view of 100-335 μm. Automated, large-area imaging is demonstrated and the Timepix' potential for fast, large-area image acquisition is highlighted.
authors: FOM Institute AMOLF, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Julia H
authors: JH
authors: Jungmann
authors: Donald F
authors: DF
authors: Smith
authors: Luke
authors: L
authors: MacAleese
authors: Ivo
authors: I
authors: Klinkert
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Visser
authors: Ron M A
authors: RM
authors: Heeren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides