Rapid identification of species, sex and maturity by mass spectrometric analysis of animal faeces.

ABSTRACT:

Background

We describe a new approach to the recovery of information from faecal samples, based on the analysis of the molecular signature generated by rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry (REIMS).

Results

Faecal pellets from five different rodent species were analysed by REIMS, and complex mass spectra were acquired rapidly (typically a few seconds per sample). The uninterpreted mass spectra (signatures) were then used to seed linear discriminant analysis and classification models based on random forests. It was possible to classify each species of origin with a high rate of accuracy, whether faeces were from animals maintained under standard laboratory conditions or wild-caught. REIMS signatures were stable to prior storage of the faecal material under a range of

SUBMITTER: Davidson NB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6693146 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature