MALDI-TOF MS for Environmental Analysis, Microbiome Research and as a Tool for Biological Resource Centres
Markus Kostrzewa, Chantal Bizet and Dominique Clermont
from: MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry in Microbiology (Edited by: Markus Kostrzewa and Sören Schubert). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2016) Pages: 127-140.
Abstract
The simplicity of sample preparation, speed of analysis, high-throughput capabilities and low analysis costs per sample have made MALDI-TOF MS profiling not only a successful first-line diagnostic method but also a favoured tool for research and analysis of environmental strains and microbial communities. Its differentiation potential, which is frequently higher than that of 16S rDNA sequence analysis, enables detection of new species and subspecies and the de-replication of large numbers of isolated microbes. Further, tracking of environmental strains seems to be feasible at least for particular species. Thereby, MALDI-TOF MS besides DNA based and biochemical methods becomes a further basic tool for research in environmental microbiology and phylogeny. These characteristics also have made MALDI-TOF MS fingerprinting a first-line method for species identification and confirmation in strain collections. Together with other complementary methods it is already established for one factor in the multidimensional approach for description of new species read more ...
