About this Research Topic
In view of the challenges posed by multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs), the acceleration of identification and susceptibility testing of pathogens is the order of the day in human and veterinary medicine as well as in other fields that deal with microorganisms, such as food and wastewater industries. Moreover, also questions about specific phenotypes or virulence-associated proteins of given bacterial and fungal strains have reached the routine laboratory.
Unfortunately, nucleic acid-based molecular assays were able to solve only partially these demands because they are limited to the gene level that does not cover e.g. the resistance phenotype as well as the detection of unknown resistance mechanisms. Although in the end being a phenotyping approach, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)-based analysis of the protein mass spectra offers the closest approximation to DNA-based approaches due to the utilization of ribosomal sequence information of predominant ribosomal proteins. In the past decade, MALDI-TOF MS has become a routine method in many diagnostic laboratories for identification of bacterial and fungal microorganisms and the advantages of this method in speed and result specificity have significantly contributed to better care of infected or MDRO-colonized patients. Building on promising first technological developments, susceptibility testing by MALDI-TOF MS-based procedures have to be improved even further to reach real practicability and reliability for their routine usage as an alternative rapid phenotypic approach. In addition, other potential fields of application of the MALDI-TOF MS technology in microbiology, e.g. determination of specific phenotypes, strain typing and detection of toxin proteins, are mostly unexplored and not exhausted in their possibilities.
Following the earlier Frontiers Research Topic “MALDI-TOF MS Application for Susceptibility Testing of Microorganisms”, this topic will continue to illustrate MALDI-TOF MS approaches that are directed to the determination of the susceptibilities of microorganisms to antibiotics, biocides or other antimicrobial agents. Additionally, it will deal with the development, adaptation and evaluation of other procedures that may enlarge the application area of MALDI-TOF MS beyond identification. Also, studies are welcome, that describe novel software developments for these purposes and that analyze the implementation of novel MALDI-TOF MS approaches into the routine laboratory and its impact on patient care, logistics, laboratory organization and health economics. We encourage submissions of original research articles, (mini-) reviews, methods articles, perspectives, technology reports, opinions and commentaries that make a novel and substantial contribution for the scientific community.
Unfortunately, nucleic acid-based molecular assays were able to solve only partially these demands because they are limited to the gene level that does not cover e.g. the resistance phenotype as well as the detection of unknown resistance mechanisms. Although in the end being a phenotyping approach, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)-based analysis of the protein mass spectra offers the closest approximation to DNA-based approaches due to the utilization of ribosomal sequence information of predominant ribosomal proteins. In the past decade, MALDI-TOF MS has become a routine method in many diagnostic laboratories for identification of bacterial and fungal microorganisms and the advantages of this method in speed and result specificity have significantly contributed to better care of infected or MDRO-colonized patients. Building on promising first technological developments, susceptibility testing by MALDI-TOF MS-based procedures have to be improved even further to reach real practicability and reliability for their routine usage as an alternative rapid phenotypic approach. In addition, other potential fields of application of the MALDI-TOF MS technology in microbiology, e.g. determination of specific phenotypes, strain typing and detection of toxin proteins, are mostly unexplored and not exhausted in their possibilities.
Following the earlier Frontiers Research Topic “MALDI-TOF MS Application for Susceptibility Testing of Microorganisms”, this topic will continue to illustrate MALDI-TOF MS approaches that are directed to the determination of the susceptibilities of microorganisms to antibiotics, biocides or other antimicrobial agents. Additionally, it will deal with the development, adaptation and evaluation of other procedures that may enlarge the application area of MALDI-TOF MS beyond identification. Also, studies are welcome, that describe novel software developments for these purposes and that analyze the implementation of novel MALDI-TOF MS approaches into the routine laboratory and its impact on patient care, logistics, laboratory organization and health economics. We encourage submissions of original research articles, (mini-) reviews, methods articles, perspectives, technology reports, opinions and commentaries that make a novel and substantial contribution for the scientific community.
Keywords: Mass spectrometry, susceptibility testing, microorganisms, resistance, toxins
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