• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.57-78
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• 2023

Understanding the chemical composition of the brain helps researchers comprehend various neurological processes effectively. Understanding of the fundamental pathological processes that underpin many neurodegenerative disorders has recently advanced thanks to the advent of innovative bioanalytical techniques that allow high sensitivity and specificity with chemical imaging at high resolution in tissues and cells. Mass spectrometry imaging [MSI] has become more common in biomedical research to map the spatial distribution of biomolecules in situ. The technique enables complete and untargeted delineation of the in-situ distribution characteristics of proteins, metabolites, lipids, and peptides. MSI's superior molecular specificity gives it a significant edge over traditional histochemical methods. Recent years have seen a significant increase in MSI, which is capable of simultaneously mapping the distribution of thousands of biomolecules in the tissue specimen at a high resolution and is otherwise beyond the scope of other molecular imaging techniques. This review aims to acquaint the reader with the MSI experimental workflow, significant recent advancements, and implementations of MSI techniques in visualizing the anatomical distribution of neurochemicals in the human brain in relation to various neurogenerative diseases.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2015

In this paper, I describe the importance of matrix spraying conditions in imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) to obtain successful imaging results. My developed matrix application methodology, which is a "two-step matrix application" sequentially combined with matrix sublimation and spraying matrix solution can provide high reproducibility and high ion yield compared with a conventional direct spraying method. However, insufficient IMS results were obtained occasionally despite the two-step method. Therefore, I wanted to characterize the methodology to continuously provide high quality data. According to my results, the sublimation time was not a strict parameter, and the most important step was the first spraying condition. This means that the extraction conditions from the tissue section and co-crystallization of the matrix were the most important factors.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.121-140
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• 2023

It is becoming more and more clear that each cell, even those of the same type, has a unique identity. This sophistication and the diversity of cell types in tissue are what are pushing the necessity for spatially distributed omics at the single-cell (SC) level. Single-cell chemical assessment, which also provides considerable insight into biological, clinical, pharmacodynamic, pathological, and toxicity studies, is crucial to the investigation of cellular omics (genomics, metabolomics, etc.). Mass spectrometry (MS) as a tool to image and profile single cells and subcellular organelles facilitates novel technical expertise for biochemical and biomedical research, such as assessing the intracellular distribution of drugs and the biochemical diversity of cellular populations. It has been illustrated that ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) is a valuable tool for the rapid, straightforward, and simple analysis of cellular and sub-cellular constituents and metabolites in their native state. This short review examines the advances in ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) and ambient mass spectrometry imaging (AMSI) on single-cell analysis that have been authored in recent years. The discussion also touches on typical single-cell AMS assessments and implementations.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.41-51
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• 2020

Microbes influence many aspects of human life from the environment to health, yet evaluating their biological processes at the chemical level can be problematic. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) enables direct evaluation of microbial chemical processes at the atomic to molecular levels without destruction of valuable two-dimensional information. MSI is a label-free method that allows multiplex spatiotemporal visualization of atomic- or molecular-level information of microbial and microberelated samples. As a result, microbial MSI has become an important field for both mass spectrometrists and microbiologists. In this review, basic techniques for microbial MSI, such as ionization methods and analyzers, are explored. In addition, we discuss practical applications of microbial MSI and various data-processing techniques.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.147-152
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• 2023

The increasing demand for two-dimensional imaging analysis using optical or electronic microscopic techniques has led to an increase in the use of simple one-dimensional and two-dimensional mass spectrometry imaging. Among these imaging methods, secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has the best spatial resolution using a primary ion beam with a relatively insignificant beam diameter. Until recently, SIMS, which uses high-energy primary ion beams, has not been used to analyze molecules. However, owing to the development of cluster ion beams, it has been actively used to analyze various organic molecules from the surface. Researchers and commercial SIMS companies are developing cluster ion beams to analyze biological samples, including amino acids, peptides, and proteins. In this study, a water droplet ion beam for surface analysis was realized. Water droplets ions were generated via electrospraying in a vacuum without desolvation. The generated ions were accelerated at an energy of 10 keV and collided with the target sample, and secondary ion mass spectra were obtained for the generated ions using ToF-SIMS. Thus, the proposed water droplet ion-beam device showed potential applicability as a primary ion beam in SIMS.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.7
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• pp.349-356
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• 2020

Mass spectrometry (MS) is an ideal tool for analyzing multiple types of (bio)molecular information simultaneously in complex biological systems. In addition, MS provides structural information on targets, and can easily discriminate between true analytes and background. Therefore, imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) enables not only visualization of tissues to give positional information on targets but also allows for molecular analysis of targets by affording the molecular weights. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) MS is particularly effective and is generally used for IMS. However, the requirement for an organic matrix raises several limitations that get in the way of accurate and reliable images and hampers imaging of small molecules such as drugs and their metabolites. To overcome these problems, various organic matrix-free LDI IMS systems have been developed, mostly utilizing nanostructured surfaces and inorganic nanoparticles as an alternative to the organic matrix. This minireview highlights and focuses on the progress in organic matrix-free LDI IMS and briefly discusses the use of other IMS techniques such as desorption electrospray ionization, laser ablation electrospray ionization, and secondary ion mass spectrometry.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.71-78
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• 2019

For several decades, cancer has been the primary cause of mortality worldwide. New diagnosis and regimens have been developed to improve the chemotherapeutic efficacy and the quality of life of the patients. However, cancer tissues are complex and difficult to assess. Understanding the various properties of the tumor and its environment is crucial for cancer and pharmaceutical research. Several analytical techniques have been providing new insights into cancer research. Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI)-mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), an advanced analytical technique, has been applied to translational research. Proteomic and lipidomic profiling obtained by MALDI-MSI has been critical for biomarker discovery and for monitoring heterogenous tumor tissues. In this review, we discuss technical approaches, benefits and recent applications of MALDI-MSI as a valuable tool in cancer research, namely for diagnosis, therapy, prognosis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.149-154
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• 2011

Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry is commonly used to analyze biological molecules such as proteins, peptides and lipids from cells or tissue. Recently MALDI Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) has been widely applied for the identification of different drugs and their metabolites in tissue. This special feature has made MALDI-MS a common choice for investigation of the molecular histology of pathological samples as well as an important alternative to other conventional imaging methods. The basic advantages of MALDI-IMS are its simple technique, rapid acquisition, increased sensitivity and most prominently, its capacity for direct tissue analysis without prior sample preparation. Moreover, with ms/ms analysis, it is possible to acquire structural information of known or unknown analytes directly from tissue sections. In recent years, MALDI-IMS has made enormous advances in the pathological field. Indeed, it is now possible to identify various changes in biological components due to disease states directly on tissue as well as to analyze the effect of treated drugs. In this review, we focus on the advantages of MALDI tissue imaging over traditional methods and highlight some motivating findings that are significant in pathological studies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.113-114
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• 2013

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) imaging is a powerful technique for producing chemical images of small biomolecules (ex. metabolites, lipids, peptides) "as received" because of its high molecular specificity, high surface sensitivity, and submicron spatial resolution. In addition, matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) imaging is an essential technique for producing chemical images of large biomolecules (ex. genes and proteins). For this talk, we will show that label-free mass imaging technique can be a platform technology for biomedical studies such as early detection/diagnostics, accurate histologic diagnosis, prediction of clinical outcome, stem cell therapy, biosensors, nanomedicine and drug screening [1-7].

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.51.2-51.2
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• 2015

Understanding interfacial phenomena has been one of the main research issues not only in semiconductors but only in life sciences. I have been trying to meet the atomic scale surface and interface analysis challenges from semiconductor industries and furthermore to extend the application scope to biomedical areas. Optical imaing has been most widely and successfully used for biomedical imaging but complementary ion beam imaging techniques based on mass spectrometry and ion scattering can provide more detailed molecular specific and nanoscale information In this presentation, I will review the 27 years history of medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) development at KRISS and DGIST for nanoanalysis. A electrostatic MEIS system constructed at KRISS after the FOM, Netherland design had been successfully applied for the gate oxide analysis and quantitative surface analysis. Recenlty, we developed time-of-flight (TOF) MEIS system, for the first time in the world. With TOF-MEIS, we reported quantitative compositional profiling with single atomic layer resolution for 0.5~3 nm CdSe/ZnS conjugated QDs and ultra shallow junctions and FINFET's of As implanted Si. With this new TOF-MEIS nano analysis technique, details of nano-structured materials could be measured quantitatively. Progresses in TOF-MEIS analysis in various nano & bio technology will be discussed. For last 10 years, I have been trying to develop multimodal nanobio imaging techniques for cardiovascular and brain tissues. Firstly, in atherosclerotic plaque imaging, using, coherent anti-stokes raman scattering (CARS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) multimodal analysis showed that increased cholesterol palmitate may contribute to the formation of a necrotic core by increasing cell death. Secondly, surface plasmon resonance imaging ellipsometry (SPRIE) was developed for cell biointerface imaging of cell adhesion, migration, and infiltration dynamics for HUVEC, CASMC, and T cells. Thirdly, we developed an ambient mass spectrometric imaging system for live cells and tissues. Preliminary results on mouse brain hippocampus and hypotahlamus will be presented. In conclusions, multimodal optical and mass spectrometric imaging privides overall structural and morphological information with complementary molecular specific information, which can be a useful methodology for biomedical studies. Future challenges in optical and mass spectrometric imaging for new biomedical applications will be discussed.