MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as a reliable and affordable tool for the detection of Lyme group borreliae infection in ticks, whole blood, and serum

MALDI-TOF (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight) mass spectrometry has been successfully developed for the identification of ticks and the detection of tick-borne pathogens. However, its performance hasn’t been evaluated for the surveillance of Lyme group borreliae and their vectors in the United States. Furthermore, MALDI-TOF MS was shown to rely on the immune response of vectors to enhance its ability to detect infection, which opens opportunities to detect pathogens at low concentrations in biological samples.

Our hypothesis is that MALDI-TOF MS can be used to detect borreliae in ticks, but also in human biological samples without a culture step.