The fast route to microbe identification: matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).
Rapid identification of bacterial and fungal microorganisms is critical for early and targeted antimicrobial therapy. Conventional methods for bacterial identification are time consuming. Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has revolutionized the daily process of identification in modern microbiological laboratories. The technique and its multiple current and future applications will be discussed.
From the *Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University Children's Hospital Basel; †Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Basel; and ‡Infection Biology, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Alexa
A
Dierig
Reno
R
Frei
Adrian
A
Egli
D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005658:Fungi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D009181:Mycoses / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors