Expansion of MALDI-TOF MS database by inserting a fungi isolated from a pharmaceutical industry facility

Introduction: Accuracy and speed are very important characteristics for identification techniques in the pharmaceutical industry.For species-level identification of microorganisms in quality control laboratories, MALDI-TOF MS is a fast and easy-to-handle technique that can be used to identify many kinds of microorganisms.However, the available systems databases are limited when it comes to fungi identification.The isolation of molds and yeasts are common in the environmental monitoring processes of pharmaceutical industries.Therefore, it's important to expand MALDI-TOF MS database to optimize its microbiological identification capacity.The isolation of molds and yeasts are common in the environmental monitoring processes of pharmaceutical industries. Objectives:The aim of this study was to expand MALDI-TOF MS database to optimize its microbiological identification capacity. Methodology:The strain BF68/24 was isolated from the active air monitoring of a non-sterile pharmaceutical facility.MALDI Biotyper (Bruker) was unable to identify this strain, so the D2 portion of 28S rDNA gene was sequenced and analyzed in Mycobank database.Results: Considering the thresholds 98.2% for identification at genus level and 99.8% for species level, the results obtained were Rhodosporidiobolus with two possible results: R. azoricus (99.69%) and R. fluvialis (99.69%).There was not any species of this genus in MALDI Biotyper database (MBT filamentous Fungi Library version 2022).Therefore, the spectra of BF68/24 strain was added in the database as Rhodosporidiobolus azoricus/fluvialis improving the laboratory's ability to identify fungi. Conclusion:MALDI-TOF MS database expansion with in house strains allow a fast and cheaper way to identify microorganisms in microbiological laboratories of pharmaceutical industries.Further studies will be conducted to sequence and analyse the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) portion of this strain's rDNA, in order to possibly define the species and adjust the spectra in MALDI Biotyper database.