| Pacific Rim Symposium on Surfaces, Coatings and Interfaces (PacSurf 2018) | |
| Biomaterial Surfaces & Interfaces | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session BI-TuM |
| Session: | Bioimaging and Bionanotechnology |
| Presenter: | Nathan Havercroft, ION-TOF USA, Inc. |
| Authors: | N.J. Havercroft, ION-TOF USA, Inc. A. Pirkl, IONTOF GmbH, Germany D. Scurr, University of Nottingham N. Starr, University of Nottingham R. Moellers, IONTOF GmbH, Germany H. Arlinghaus, IONTOF GmbH, Germany E. Niehuis, IONTOF GmbH, Germany |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Introduction
Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) offers the possibility to acquire chemical information from submicron regions on inorganic and organic samples. This capability has been especially intriguing for researchers with life science applications. In recent years, the vision to image and unambiguously identify molecules on a sub-cellular level has been driving instrumental and application development. While new ion sources expanded the usability of SIMS instruments for biological applications, SIMS analyzers lacked the required mass resolution, mass accuracy and MS/MS capabilities required for the thorough investigation of these materials.
Methods
To specifically address the imaging requirements in the life science field a powerful new Hybrid SIMS instrument [1] was developed in a research project by IONTOF and Thermo Fisher ScientificTM, following Prof. Ian S. Gilmore’s original idea, in close cooperation with the National Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry Imaging (NiCE-MSI), GlaxoSmithKline, and the School of Pharmacy of the University of Nottingham. The instrument combines an OrbitrapTM-based Thermo ScientificTM Q ExactiveTM HF mass analyzer with a high-end ToF-SIMS system (IONTOF GmbH). The instrument provides highest mass resolution (> 240,000) and highest mass accuracy (< 1 ppm) with high lateral resolution cluster SIMS imaging.
Preliminary data
Secondary ions, generated by primary ion bombardment from liquid metal ion clusters or large gas clusters can be analyzed in either of the mass analyzers. Fast switching between the mass analyzers is achieved by pulsing of a hemispherical electrode. This even allows combined measurement modes using the TOF for very fast imaging and the Orbitrap mass analyzer during intermediate sputtering cycles for generation of spectra with high mass resolution and mass accuracy from the same sample area in a single experiment.
First application data including high resolution SIMS spectrometry, MS/MS analyses, high resolution imaging of tissues and depth profiles of biological samples with this new instrument will be presented. For example, single beam depth profiling data were collected, from porcine skin samples, that clearly exhibited different molecular ion signals for different skin layers. This method potentially allows one to measure the permeation of skin for various compounds, e.g. drug molecules.
[1] The 3D OrbiSIMS – Label-Free Metabolic Imaging with Sub-cellular Lateral Resolution and High Mass Resolving Power, Passarelli et al., Nature Methods, 2017, 14(12):1175-1183, DOI 10.1038/nmeth.4504