title: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric investigation of pollen and their classification by multivariate statistics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A fast and reliable online identification of pollen is not yet available. The identification of pollen is based mainly on the evaluation of morphological data obtained by microscopic methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was applied to the analysis of extracts and milled pollen samples. The obtained MALDI data were explored for characteristic peak patterns which could be subjected to a multivariate statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two sample preparation methods are presented, which require only minimal or no chemical extraction of the pollen. MALDI pollen spectra could be recorded showing various peak patterns. A multivariate statistics approach allowed the classification of pollen into clusters indicating similarities and differences between various species.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate the potential and the reliability of MALDI-TOF MS for the identification and, in combination with multivariate statistics, also for the classification of pollen.
authors.affiliation: BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Analytical Chemistry, Richard-Willstätter-Str. 11, D-12489, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Panne
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kneipp
authors.forename: Steffen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Weidner
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D018653:Juniperus / Q000737:chemistry; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*