Transformation of Anaerobic Microbiology since the Arrival of MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

This chapter reports work on the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the characterization of clinically important anaerobes to the species level from clinical samples, efforts to improve the coverage of anaerobic species by expanding the database and the potential of the technique to type specific human pathogens. Specific reference is made in the chapter to the identification of Bacteroides and other clinically relevant anaerobes, where the impact has been considerable. The performance of the MS-based identification of anaerobic bacteria in daily routine work is highly influenced by the composition of the database at the time of the study and the identification criteria provided by the manufacturers or selected by the laboratories. Direct identification of bacteria and fungi from positive blood cultures by MALDI-TOF MS using different sample preparation methods, such as the Sepsityper kit (Bruker) or in-house methods, is a new approach.