Spatial Metabolomics Services

The function of many specific metabolites is largely unknown. Metabolomics aims to characterize all small molecules derived from cellular processes. This has the potential to improve researchers' understanding of cell biology and medicine. However, unlike traditional metabolomics, spatially resolved metabolomics is another molecular imaging technique with great potential for application. In particular, the study of metabolites and lipids in their native spatial environment is at the forefront of spatial metabolomics and lipidomics research.

We offer spatial metabolomics services

Figure 1. An imaging mass spectrometry (MS) dataset represents a collection of spectra acquired from a raster of pixels representing the surface of a tissue section. (Theodore, A., et al., 2020)

CD Genomics performs metabolomics and fluxomics measurements in a spatially resolved manner using spatial metabolomics and its supporting technologies (imaging mass spectrometry). The biosynthesis, transport pathways, and accumulation patterns of various metabolites in tissues can be detected. Generating hyperspectral imaging big data, which may be the key to understanding the function of some specific metabolites. It will promote frontier applied research such as targeted drug discovery, analysis of pathological mechanisms, and regulation of spatial metabolic networks, which are closely related to organism growth and development.

General analysis process

Types of samples we can analyze

Species: human, mouse, rat, etc.

Tissue types: heart, lung, eyes, liver, kidney, spleen, stomach, testis, ovary, breast, lymph node, brain, intestine, thyroid, skin, pancreas, bone tissue, etc.

Sample requirements

• Tissues that do not require embedding (tissues with low water content). The tissue is snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80°C to ensure as much integrity as possible. Transport on dry ice.
• Tissues that need to be embedded (tissues with high water content). Try to ensure the integrity of the tissue by preparing the embedding agent to completely cover the tissue. Place in -80°C for storage. Transport on dry ice.
• Compatible with formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections.
• You need to prepare at least 3 tissue samples.

Technical features and advantages

• Enables the localization of metabolites within tissues, identifying specific regional patterns of high and low abundance of each metabolite.
• Allows visualization of site-specific metabolite signal intensities and ion peak accuracy at ultra-high resolution in longitudinal or cross-sectional views of tissues. Enables our customers to spatially acquire targeted or non-targeted metabolome data.
• Enables understanding of the spatial relationships between metabolites within tissues and combining this with spatial transcriptome data to characterize the association of regional genes with metabolites and identify candidate biosynthetic genes involved in specific metabolic pathways.
• Combines fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) microscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry to align and integrate metabolite and fluorescence images at the micron scale to provide spatial distribution patterns of tissue metabolites on the same tissue section.
• Enables direct discovery of tumor-associated metabolites and metabolic enzymes in their natural state, characterizing tumor metabolism with spatial information that helps our customers understand the complex metabolic reprogramming of cancer.
• Compatible with gene-editing technology platforms, the results generated can guide gene knockdown to be performed to determine the local function of metabolites.

We do it better

Spatially resolved metabolomics is a combination of mass spectrometry imaging and metabolomics techniques. CD Genomics provides spatial metabolomics analysis to map metabolites and lipids at cellular and subcellular spatial resolution. Differences in the type, content, and spatial distribution of endogenous/exogenous metabolites in tissues and cells can be accurately determined. Has near single-cell lateral resolution while still being sensitive enough to detect endogenous metabolites and lipids in the micromolar concentration range. Understanding metabolic processes in their native spatial context helps deepen your understanding of cellular metabolism to support precision medicine.

Reference

1. Theodore, A., et al., (2020). "Spatial Metabolomics and Imaging Mass Spectrometry in the Age of Artificial Intelligence." Annual Review of Biomedical Data Science, 3(1), 61-87.