System is designed to identify microbial protein fingerprints within minutes.
Bruker Daltronics reported that Arup Laboratories has chosen the MALDI Biotyper mass spectrometry system as its platform for next-generation rapid microbial identification. The MALDI TOF-based system has been CE-marked for IVD use in Europe and is available as a research use only product outside the EU.
Bruker says Arup aims to use the platform for microbial identifications that are currently carried out by DNA sequencing. Arup is also evaluating whether the MALDI biotyper can replace phenotypic methods for microbial identification. It will work with Bruker to develop new tests on the system.
Bruker claims that the MALDI Biotyper can identify bacteria, yeast, and fungi in minutes. The system’s database includes quality-controlled entries for over 3,700 strains of some 2,000 microbial species. Identification from a cultured colony is carried out by matching the colony’s protein fingerprint against the MALDI Biotyper database. The technology allows multiple colonies to be spotted on a single target and can perform about 30–60 identifications per hour, according to Bruker. The firm says it has installed over 150 MALDI Biotyper systems worldwide in routine microbial laboratories.
Arup is a national clinical and anatomic pathology reference laboratory, owned by the University of Utah. It offers over 3,000 tests and test combinations, ranging from routine screening tests to specific molecular and genetic assays.
