What is MALDI-TOF used for?
What is MALDI-TOF used for?
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) has become a widely used technique for the rapid and accurate identification of bacteria, mycobacteria and certain fungal pathogens in the clinical microbiology laboratory.
How is MALDI-TOF used to identify bacteria?
Currently microorganisms are best identified using 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene sequencing. During the MALDI-TOF MS process, microbes are identified using either intact cells or cell extracts. The process is rapid, sensitive, and economical in terms of both labor and costs involved.
Is MALDI-TOF cost effective?
MALDI-TOF has a significant role in the improvement of patient care with accurate, cost-effective, and rapid identification of the microbes leading to antimicrobial therapy.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of MALDI-TOF?
Table 1
| Detection method | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| MALDI-TOF MS | • Fast • Accurate • Less expensive than molecular and immunological-based detection methods • Trained laboratory personnel not required | • High initial cost of the MALDI-TOF equipment |
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Maldi-Tof?
How much does Maldi-TOF MS cost?
The direct cost from MALDI-TOF MS was only $1,403.20, or $35.08 per isolate, which equates to a 74.0% savings.
What types of sample are suitable for MALDI-TOF mass analysis?
Samples for MALDI analysis may be supplied either in solution or lyophilised. Ideally samples should be resuspended in an aqueous solution of 50% (v/v) acetonitrile, 0.1% (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid using ultra high purity water. If any other solution is used, BioCentre staff must be supplied with comprehensive details.
What is TOF analysis?
Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is a surface-sensitive analytical method that uses a pulsed ion beam (Cs or microfocused Ga) to remove molecules from the very outermost surface of the sample. The particles are removed from atomic monolayers on the surface (secondary ions).
How does a ToF analyzer work?
The principle of ToF mass analyzer involves the separation of ions based on the time it takes for the ions to travel through a flight tube with known length and reach the detector.
How does a ToF spectrometer work?
A common form of mass spectrometry is time of flight (ToF) mass spectrometry. In this technique, particles of the substance are ionised to form 1+ ions which are accelerated so that they all have the same kinetic energy. The time taken to travel a fixed distance is then used to find the mass of each ion in the sample.
Is Maldi-Tof a molecular method?
Molecular techniques can generate results and positive identifications remarkably quickly; so can Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, which is having a significant impact on clinical microbiology. MALDI-TOF generates high throughput of dozens of pathogens per run.