In a MALDI-TOF assay,
A) antibodies are used to detect specific proteins and polysaccharides, particularly those that make up surface structures.
B) a microorganism's proteins are separated and sorted by mass to generate a profile that provides a fast way to identify a colony.
C) part of a colony is transferred to a microscope slide, and a drop of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is added to it to test for catalase.
D) specimens are inoculated onto differential media and a set of biochemical tests are used to identify a microorganism.
E) the nucleotide sequence of ribosomal RNA molecules (rRNAs), or the DNA that encodes them (rDNAs), is used to identify microbes.

Question

In a MALDI-TOF assay, 
A) antibodies are used to detect specific proteins and polysaccharides, particularly those that make up surface structures.
B) a microorganism's proteins are separated and sorted by mass to generate a profile that provides a fast way to identify a colony.
C) part of a colony is transferred to a microscope slide, and a drop of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is added to it to test for catalase.
D) specimens are inoculated onto differential media and a set of biochemical tests are used to identify a microorganism.
E) the nucleotide sequence of ribosomal RNA molecules (rRNAs), or the DNA that encodes them (rDNAs), is used to identify microbes.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a MALDI-TOF assay, a microorganism's proteins are separated and sorted by mass to generate a profile that provides a fast way to identify a colony. This technique is commonly used in microbiology laboratories for identification of bacterial, fungal, and viral samples. The method involves the creation of a profile of the ionized proteins representing the microorganism, which is then compared to a reference database for identification.

In a MALDI-TOF Assay