Multiplexed bio-imaging mass spectrometry

该项目旨在开发生物组织中痕量元素和分子的同时三维成像技术。这项技术是揭示潜在机制生物学的重要分析和诊断进展，并将揭示细胞之间微妙的新陈代谢相互作用。该项目将使用激光消融-电感耦合等离子体质谱和稀土共轭探针来绘制老化小鼠大脑中锌的代谢途径。预计它将产生一个完整的成像解决方案，用于对所有重要元素、辅因子、代谢物和其他功能分子进行定量空间确定，以研究目前技术难以或不可能追踪的代谢途径。最终，这项技术有望支持对涉及微量金属和化学物种功能障碍的疾病的研究。

This project aims to develop technology for simultaneous three-dimensional imaging of trace elements and molecules in biological tissues. This technology is an essential analytical and diagnostic advance to uncover latent mechanistic biology and will reveal subtle metabolic interactions between cells. The project will use laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and lanthanide-conjugated probes to map the zinc metabolic pathway in the ageing mouse brain. It is expected to result in a complete imaging solution for quantitative spatial determination of all important elements, co-factors, metabolites and other functional molecules to investigate metabolic pathways which current technologies find difficult or impossible to track. Ultimately this technology is expected to underpin investigations of diseases where trace metal and chemical species dysfunction is implicated.