Correlative mass spectrometry imaging of animal–microbe symbioses

Mass spectrometry imaging provides a new frontier in imaging the spatial distribution of molecular species. However, the chemical images generated with this state-of-the-art technique are difficult to analyze and interpret. Especially when investigating the chemical interactions between animals and bacteria the spatial assignment between chemical signatures and individual cells in mixed communities presents a substantial technical challenge. Therefore, I developed correlative mass spectrometry imaging approaches that combine MSI with other visualization strategies such as fluorescence microscopy, to visualize individual bacterial cells and micro computed tomography, to visualize the detailed 3D histology of the host animal. Using the combined visualization techniques, we could reveal new chemical interactions in marine and terrestrial animal-microbe symbioses.