Chapter 2 MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry for Microorganism Identification

Publication date: 2015 Source:Methods in Microbiology, Volume 42 Author(s): Lori Bourassa, Susan M. Butler-Wu Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a rapid, accurate and high-throughput method for microorganism identification. MALDI-TOF MS identification of microorganisms has revolutionised the clinical microbiology laboratory offering species-level identifications in minutes with accuracy that matches and often exceeds that of conventional identification systems. This chapter summarises the performance characteristics of commercially available MALDI-TOF MS systems for the identification of bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi. The performance of MALDI-TOF MS for the identification of microorganisms directly from select clinical specimens is also discussed.
Source: Methods in Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research