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Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Identification of Rare Bacterial Pathogens by 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS
Published on: July 11, 2016
Identification of Nocardia, Streptomyces, and Tsukamurella using MALDI-TOF MS with the Bruker Biotyper
Melanie L Yarbrough1, William Lainhart1, Carey-Ann D Burnham1
1Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Campus Box 8118, Saint Louis, MO, 63110.
Abstract:
Nocardia species are the most commonly isolated aerobic actinomycetes from human clinical specimens. Our objective was to assess the identification of clinically relevant actinomycetes using the Bruker Biotyper MALDI-TOF system, including comparison of extraction methods, Biotyper library versions, score cutoffs, and media. Banked Streptomyces (n=10), Tsukamurella (n=2), and Nocardia isolates (n=60) were cultured and extracted using three methods: mycobacterial extraction, ethanol formic acid extraction, or direct on-target extraction. Following MALDI-TOF analysis, spectra were analyzed using versions 5 and 6 of the BDAL Biotyper library. Optimal species-level identifications for Nocardia were achieved using BDAL v6 at a score cutoff of ≥1.8 after direct extraction (49/60, 82%). Overall, the Biotyper platform with BDAL v6 accurately identified 12/16 species of Nocardia, demonstrating the utility of MALDI-TOF for identification of clinically relevant actinomycetes without the need for supplementation of the database.
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