Figure 6B.Mechanisms of MALDI-TOF MS for the identification of bacterial species.

Additional suggestions for MALDI-TOF MS sample preparations for use with different classes of microbes. Different groups of microorganisms vary fundamentally in their cellular composition and architecture. These differences have been demonstrated to affect the quality of spectra generated during MS experiments and, thus, the accuracy of MALDI-TOF MS-derived identifications. As such, investigators from a number of independent studies have evaluated different methods for sample preparation of different groups of microorganisms, ranging directly from intact-cell to full-protein extraction-based methodologies. Results from these studies are summarized here. Proper biological safety precautions should be followed with respect to dangerous members of these groups of organisms.

Republished from reference 124 with permission.