PNNL

Abstract

Recent terrorism events have prompted the need for reliable, automated microorganism identification methods. Our laboratory is involved in the development of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry as a rapid screening for microorganism identification. Challenges that need to be addressed include improved sensitivity, representative sample analysis, unbiased data analysis, and the degree of confidence in the results of the analysis. Automated data collection and interpretation, speed of analysis and low false positive rate are equally important for national security and public health applications. We are developing algorithms to automatically (1) verify instrument performance, (2) effectively collect data, (3) assess the quality of the data, and (4) analyze the data.