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Mass spectrometry for the characterization of microorganisms
Bioresource Technology 49 (1994) 191 Elsevier Science Limited Printed in Great Britain ELSEVIER
BOOK REVIEW Mass Spectrometry for the Characterization of Microorganisms. Edited by Catherine Fenselau, ACS Symposium Series 541 American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1993. 240 + viii pp. Cost $64.95.
detection of pathogens and biological warfare agents. Other cited advantages of the technique include the very small sample sizes required, and the capability for direct measurement of the environmental effects of microorganisms in situ, using membrane inlets, in complex environments such as soils, faeces and clinical samples. Identification of organisms by mass spectrometry relies mainly on phospholipid profiles; a chapter dealing with the use of this taxonomic method and the problems associated with it has been included in this volume. The range of mass spectrometer-based techniques applied include fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS), GC-MS, pyrolysis-GC-MS, laser desorption-MS and plasma desorption-MS, as well as a chapter on the use of membrane-inlet-MS for direct measurement of volatile metabolites. The whole work represents a very useful reference for the newer application of mass spectrometry, particularly in microbiology, and is presented in a very readable and easily referable format.
Biological mass spectrometry has come a long way since its use in dissolved gas monitoring in the late 1970s to early 1980s. The production of small, portable and affordable devices has led to a rapid expansion in the range of biological disciplines and techniques to which this equipment can be applied. The papers collected in this volume, arising from a sponsored symposium at the August 1992 meeting of the American Chemical Society, represent a range of mass spectrometric techniques and applications, with the common theme of microbial identification. The emphasis is more on diagnosis than taxonomy, with particular reference to clinically important organisms, including mycobacteria, anthrax and AIDS, in particular the potential for rapid detection of HIV-specific protein structures. In clinical applications, the rapidity of the technique is particularly important, and methods are described for the rapid
Kevin Hillman
191
BOOK REVIEW Mass Spectrometry for the Characterization of Microorganisms. Edited by Catherine Fenselau, ACS Symposium Series 541 American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1993. 240 + viii pp. Cost $64.95.
detection of pathogens and biological warfare agents. Other cited advantages of the technique include the very small sample sizes required, and the capability for direct measurement of the environmental effects of microorganisms in situ, using membrane inlets, in complex environments such as soils, faeces and clinical samples. Identification of organisms by mass spectrometry relies mainly on phospholipid profiles; a chapter dealing with the use of this taxonomic method and the problems associated with it has been included in this volume. The range of mass spectrometer-based techniques applied include fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS), GC-MS, pyrolysis-GC-MS, laser desorption-MS and plasma desorption-MS, as well as a chapter on the use of membrane-inlet-MS for direct measurement of volatile metabolites. The whole work represents a very useful reference for the newer application of mass spectrometry, particularly in microbiology, and is presented in a very readable and easily referable format.
Biological mass spectrometry has come a long way since its use in dissolved gas monitoring in the late 1970s to early 1980s. The production of small, portable and affordable devices has led to a rapid expansion in the range of biological disciplines and techniques to which this equipment can be applied. The papers collected in this volume, arising from a sponsored symposium at the August 1992 meeting of the American Chemical Society, represent a range of mass spectrometric techniques and applications, with the common theme of microbial identification. The emphasis is more on diagnosis than taxonomy, with particular reference to clinically important organisms, including mycobacteria, anthrax and AIDS, in particular the potential for rapid detection of HIV-specific protein structures. In clinical applications, the rapidity of the technique is particularly important, and methods are described for the rapid
Kevin Hillman
191