Mass Spectrometry for Proteomics, Metabolomics and Spatial Imaging
This community develops and applies mass spectrometry techniques to identify and quantify proteins, metabolites, and lipids, with a strong focus on spatially resolved imaging and single-cell analysis.
The work centers on ionization methods such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization, coupled with liquid chromatography and ion mobility spectrometry. Recurring applications include proteomics (top-down and bottom-up), metabolite profiling, and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) for spatial mapping of molecules in tissues. Specific techniques like tandem mass spectrometry, isotope labeling, and gas-cluster ionization are frequently used to enhance sensitivity and resolution for analyzing complex biological samples, including human plasma and fatty acids.
The community’s output is distributed across many elements, with the largest shares found in hydrogen (0.1% of all hydrogen research), argon (0.3% of all argon research), and carbon (0.0% of all carbon research).
There are 7,144 papers in this community, primarily published in Analytical Chemistry, Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, and Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry.
Recent work focuses on subcellular mass spectrometry imaging, including transmission geometry ambient laser desorption and plasmonic nanofilms for universal imaging, as well as single-cell mass spectrometry imaging via tapered fiber projection.