Unleashing the Power of Automation in Bacterial Identification

In the world of microbiology, rapid and accurate bacterial identification is essential.

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has emerged as a powerful tool for this purpose, providing a rapid and reliable method for identifying bacteria based on their unique protein fingerprints. However, the sample preparation process for MALDI-TOF MS can be time-consuming and prone to human error, hindering efficiency and potentially impacting the accuracy of results. This potential bottleneck can be addressed by automating parts of the sample preparation process.

This application note, based on the master thesis of Jeremy Provoost, explores how the PAL System can automate key sample preparation steps for MALDI-TOF MS, streamlining workflows and enhancing the reliability of bacterial identification.

Two Automated Methods for Enhanced Efficiency:

The application note focuses on two distinct automated methods: the Formic Acid (FA) method and the Beads method.

FA Method: This method utilizes chemical lysis with formic acid to extract proteins from bacterial cells. It requires minimal sample material and is particularly effective for identifying Listeria species.
Beads Method: This method employs mechanical lysis using glass beads to disrupt bacterial cells and release proteins. It may be more universally applicable due to its ability to handle bacteria with tougher cell walls.

Benefits of Automation:

By automating these methods, the PAL System offers significant advantages:

Reduced processing time and labor costs
Minimized human error and improved consistency
Enhanced accuracy and specificity of results

Explore the App Note below to see which bacteria were identified with the respective automated workflows.

Hagen Gegner

Scientific Communications Specialist

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Explore How to Automate Bacterial Identification

This application note demonstrates the successful automation of two sample preparation workflows, Formic Acid (FA) and Beads method, for bacterial identification using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Both methods were successfully automated and identified various bacteria at the genus level, including those relevant to clinical diagnostics (e.g., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus argenteus), food safety (e.g., Listeria species), and environmental monitoring (e.g., Acinetobacter radioresistens, Acinetobacter venetianus). Notably, the FA method, employing chemical lysis, proved more effective for species-level identification, particularly for Listeria species. The Beads method identified fewer Listeria species than the FA method but may be more universal due to the mechanical disruption as the mechanism behind the extraction. Following the sample preparation, the resulting samples were spotted onto the MALDI target plate (also automated) and analyzed using MALDI-TOF MS, generating unique spectral fingerprints for each bacterial sample. These spectra are then compared to an extensive online database, MabritecCentral, to facilitate accurate bacterial identification at the species level. Both automated sample preparation approaches significantly reduce processing time, minimize human error, and improve the consistency and reliability of results, offering a potential solution to streamline bacterial identification in clinical diagnostics, food safety, and environmental monitoring.

Download App Note Instrumental Analytics

Watch the Workflow in Action

Watch Jeremy Provoost explain his Masters Thesis and the automated bacterial identification workflow.

Learn more about the master program and bacteria identification at the FHNW School of Life Sciences:

FHNW School of Life Sciences is part of Europe’s largest life sciences centre and lies at the heart of pharmaceutical and medical technology, the chemical industry and environmental and biotechnology. It is here that we train skilled specialists and come up with solutions to the social and economic challenges of tomorrow. We are committed to developing new preventive and therapeutic products and services, improving people’s quality of life and promoting a sustainable attitude to the environment. More information at https://www.fhnw.ch/hls

Instrumental Analytics

Led by Prof. Dr. Stefan Gaugler, the Instrumental Analytics working group at FHNW specializes in mass spectrometry and separation techniques to tackle analytical challenges across diverse fields. With extensive experience in areas like dried blood spot analysis and a strong background in analytical chemistry, Prof. Gaugler leads the group's research in developing and applying innovative methodologies for bacterial identification, micro-pollutant characterization, and complex biological sample analysis.

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