Over the past few decades, several approaches have been used to image lipids in cells and tissues, but most have limited spatial resolution and sensitivity. Here, we discuss a relatively new approach, nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging, that makes it possible to visualize lipids in cells and tissues in a quantitative fashion and with high spatial resolution and high sensitivity.
High spatial resolution mass spectrometry imaging reveals the genetically programmed, developmental modification of the distribution of thylakoid membrane lipids among individual cells of maize leaf