SpaceM

SpaceM integrates microscopy with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry to perform in situ single-cell metabolomics, detecting and characterizing over 100 metabolites from more than 1,000 individual cells per hour while preserving morpho-spatial information and providing fluorescence-linked readouts for metabolic profiling.

Key Features:

• Microscopy–MALDI integration: Integrates microscopy with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry for in situ single-cell analysis.
• Metabolite coverage: Detects and characterizes over 100 metabolites at single-cell resolution.
• High throughput: Processes more than 1,000 individual cells per hour.
• Morpho-spatial preservation: Preserves morpho-spatial cellular features during metabolic profiling.
• Fluorescence-linked readout: Provides a fluorescence-based readout that can be combined with metabolic measurements.
• Cell-type inference: Enables prediction of cell types from single-cell metabolite profiles.

Scientific Applications:

• Cell-type classification in coculture: Predicts cell types in cocultures of human epithelial cells and mouse fibroblasts using single-cell metabolite profiles.
• Hepatocyte metabolic heterogeneity: Identifies two distinct metabolic subpopulations in human hepatocytes stimulated with fatty acids.
• Inflammation and signaling perturbation: Detects disruption of hepatocyte metabolic states by interleukin-17A in an NF-κB-dependent manner.
• Disease model validation: Corroborates metabolic findings in a murine model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Methodology:

Computational analysis comprises prediction of cell types from MALDI-derived single-cell metabolite profiles and identification of metabolic subpopulations.