Maldi biotyper rtc software 3

MALDI-TOF MS measurements were performed with a 60-Hz nitrogen laser and the spectra were analyzed over a mass range of 2–20 kDa. The strains from both reference and clinical sets were measured and identified by MALDI Biotyper RTC software 3.0 (Bruker Daltonik GmbH). Each series of measurements was preceded by calibration with a bacterial test standard (Bruker Daltonik GmbH). All specimens were processed as per manufacturer’s guidelines. Each sample was tested in duplicate to ensure reproducibility of spectra. Identification scores were interpreted according to the manufacturer’s recommended criteria: a score of >2.0 indicated species-level identification, a score of 1.70–1.999 indicated identification at the genus level, and a score of <1.70 was interpreted as “not reliable identification.” The identification of the tested strain corresponds to the species of the reference strain with the best match in the database. When MALDI-TOF MS and phenotypic identifications agreed, no further analyses were performed. Discrepancies at genus or species level were resolved with a molecular technique based on sequence analysis of 16S rRNA, which is considered the “gold standard” identification method.9 (link)