MALDI Technology Designed for Mass Spectrometry-Based Molecular Microbial Identification

A new matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) system enables identification, taxonomic, classification, and dereplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, and fungi. Classification and identification of microorganisms is achieved effectively and fast using the new high-throughput MALDI-TOF (time-of-flight) mass spectrometry technology.

Bruker Corp. (Billerica, MA, USA) announced that its MALDI Biotyper workflow for microbial identification in clinical microbiology has been selected by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES; Vienna) for MALDI-TOF-based analyses of microorganisms.

AGES is responsible for several tasks in regard to public health and food safety for the Austrian government. The organization researches, analyzes, and performs inspections according to the policy guidelines of Austrian Food Laws. The agency requires veterinary inspections and dedicates itself to the prevention and control of infectious diseases in the population. Just recently, scientists of the AGES discovered the source of a listeriosis outbreak in Austria and Germany that caused eight deaths due to contaminated cheese products. In order to provide always state-of-the-art microbiologic analyses AGES is the first organization in Austria using the IVD-CE marked IVD MALDI Biotyper system that is in accordance with the European Union in vitro Diagnostic Directive 98/79/EC.

University Prof. Dr. med. Franz Allerberger, head of the Human Medicine Division, AGES commented, "Microbial analyses based on MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as a molecular identification tool provide premium information in order to describe and differentiate microorganisms very reliably. With advantages in speed, accuracy, and cost per sample over phenotypic standard tests, the MALDI Biotyper has the potential to become a new clinical standard for microbial identification. In particular, for fastidious microorganisms like anaerobic and nonfermenting bacteria, the superior discrimination power of the MALDI Biotyper has been proven in several publications. In order to substantiate the MALDI Biotyper benefit especially for difficult species in the daily clinical routine, AGES will be the leading organization for quality assurance and standardization for the analysis after Legionella infections. In this context we will also perform a respective round robin test comprising labs from all over the world.”

Dr. Guido Mix, Bruker Daltonics director for microbiology business development, concluded, "The MALDI Biotyper is already a very suitable and reliable tool for daily microbiological routine analysis. Globally more than 100 clinical diagnostic labs, as well as further microbiology departments at industrial and academic sites operate this protein fingerprinting-based approach. We are very pleased to collaborate with an organization like the AGES in order to explore the MALDI Biotyper capabilities beyond current standardized operational species identification procedures, and towards strain typing or clone tracking.”

Applications of the system include clinical routine microbial identification (in the European Union [EU] only--for research use only elsewhere), environmental and pharmaceutical analysis, taxonomical research, food and consumer product processing and quality control, as well as in marine microbiology. The MALDI Biotyper method requires minimal sample preparation efforts and offers low cost per sample.

Related Links:
Bruker
Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety