Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy and mapping were applied to the analysis of biofilms produced by bacteria of the genus Streptococcus. Bacterial biofilm, also called dental plaque, is the main cause of periodontal disease and tooth decay. It consists of a complex microbial community embedded in an extracellular matrix composed of highly hydrated extracellular polymeric substances and is a combination of salivary and bacterial proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, and inorganic ions. This study confirms the value of Raman and FT-IR spectroscopies in biology, medicine, and pharmacy as effective tools for bacterial product characterization.

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Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is an efficient technology applied in plant metabolomics research. This technique allows for visualization of spatial distribution of metabolites such as: lipids, proteins, peptides and DNA sequences, by determining the x, y coordinates of the compounds exactly in plant tissue. Simplicity of the tissue preparation without the need of prior exact knowledge about the analytes is a great advantage of this method. In this review, we provide an overview of experimental workflow including sample preparation, data acquisition and analysis, methodology, and some recent applications of MALDI MS imaging in plant metabolomics research.