Beyond the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) biotyping workflow: in search of microorganism-specific tryptic peptides enabling discrimination of subspecies.

ABSTRACT: A well-accepted method for identification of microorganisms uses matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) coupled to analysis software which identifies and classifies the organism according to its ribosomal protein spectral profile. The method, called MALDI biotyping, is widely used in clinical diagnostics and has partly replaced conventional microbiological techniques such as biochemical identification due to its shorter time to result (minutes for MALDI biotyping versus hours or days for classical phenotypic or genotypic identification). Besides its utility for identifying bacteria, MS-based identification has been shown to be applicable also to yeasts and molds. A limitation to this method, however, is that accurate identification is mo

SUBMITTER: Gekenidis MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4068689 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature