Pew: Open-Source Imaging Software for Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry.

Open-sourced software is a key component of the mass spectrometry imaging field, where transparency in data processing is vital. Imaging of trace elements and immunohistochemically labeled biomolecules in tissue sections is typically performed using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). However, efficient and facile processing of images is hampered by a lack of verifiable and user-friendly software that supports multiple LA-ICP-MS platforms. In this technical note, we introduce Pew, a LA-ICP-MS specific and feature-rich open-source image processing software that is compatible with common ICP-MS vendors. Pew is designed to be fast and easy to use and adheres to modern visualization philosophies to maximize productivity and to minimize data interpretation errors and image anomalies.