3D imaging mass spectrometry of lipids in atherosclerotic plaques: Open-source methods for reconstruction and analysis

D matrix assisted laser desorption/Ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) is a growing branch of IMS still requiring developments in methodology and technology to make the technique routinely accessible. Many challenges are simply a matter of producing 3D reconstructions and interpreting them in a timely fashion. In this aim and using analysis of lipids from atherosclerotic plaques from a human carotid and mouse aortic sinuses, we describe 3D reconstruction methods using open-source software that provides high quality visualization and rapid interpretation through multivariate segmentation of the 3D IMS data. Multiple datasets were generated for each sample and we provide insight into simple means to correlate the separate datasets.