Optimization of a minimal sample preparation protocol for imaging mass spectrometry of unsectioned juvenile invertebrates.

Tissue sections have long been the subject matter for the application of imaging mass spectrometry, but recently the technique has been adapted for many other purposes including bacterial colonies and 3D cell culture. Here, we present a simple preparation method for unsectioned invertebrate tissue without the need for fixing, embedding, or slicing. The protocol was used to successfully prepare a Hawaiian bobtail squid hatchling for analysis, and the resulting data detected ions that correspond to compounds present in the host only during its symbiotic colonization by Vibrio fischeri.