Bruker announced a technology acquisition in support of its microbiology business and its world-leading MALDI Biotyper microbial identification platform. Financial details were not disclosed.

Bruker has acquired selected assets in Glasgow, UK for the development, validation and commercialization of molecular assays for applications in microbiology. Bruker has acquired laboratory infrastructure and IP in the NAT assay field, including real-time PCR assays for microbiology. In parallel, Bruker has hired an experienced R&D, operations and commercial team in Glasgow to drive PCR-based syndromic panel development for Bruker's MALDI Biotyper platform.  

The MALDI Biotyper offers fast, highly accurate and cost-efficient microbial identification with exceptionally broad species coverage, based on proteomic fingerprinting. Molecular multiplex and syndromic panel testing is another growing field in clinical microbiology. When a rapid, targeted answer is required without prior microbial cultivation, multiplex PCR assays for the identification of selected bacterial, fungal and viral species, and for the fast detection of resistance genes, are highly complementary to broad-coverage, untargeted proteomic identification from isolates after overnight culture. Such proteomic assays and NAT assays are expected to be both performed on the same MALDI Biotyper platform. Applications for targeted multiplex PCR assays arise in early screening, confirmation testing and broader syndromic testing.

Dr. Wolfgang Pusch, executive vice president for Clinical MALDI Solutions at Bruker Daltonics, commented, "In addition to conventional, targeted real-time PCR assays, Bruker sees further advantages in combining multiplexed syndromic PCR assays with a read-out on the MALDI Biotyper platform. Bruker intends to validate and launch the real-time PCR assays which have been acquired, and develop new multiplex PCR panels on the MALDI Biotyper platform in order to expand its assay menu to rapid targeted bacterial, fungal and viral identification, to fast antibiotic resistance testing, as well as to syndromic panels. With over 2,000 MALDI Biotypers already installed worldwide for fast, highly accurate and untargeted microbial identification, we are excited to bring new NAT multiplex assay and syndromic panel capabilities to our customers over time."

The MALDI Biotyper family of systems enables molecular identification, and taxonomical classification or de-replication of microorganisms like bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Classification and identification of microorganisms is achieved reliably and quickly using proteomic fingerprinting by high-throughput MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The MALDI Biotyper uses proteomic fingerprints from bacterial strains for identification. Published studies have highlighted the greater accuracy, broader coverage and lower cost offered, as well as faster time-to-result (TTR).

Applications of the MALDI Biotyper platform include clinical routine microbial identification, environmental and pharmaceutical analysis, taxonomical research, food and consumer product safety and quality control, as well as marine microbiology. In many European and international laboratories the MALDI Biotyper has replaced classical biochemical testing for bacterial identification due to its accuracy, speed, extensive species coverage, ease of use and cost effectiveness. Classical biochemical techniques detect different metabolic properties of microorganisms, can take many hours or even days for completion, and often lack specificity.

The robust MALDI Biotyper workflow requires minimal sample preparation and offers low consumables cost. The products of the MALDI Biotyper family are available in a research-use-only (RUO) version, as the US FDA-cleared MALDI Biotyper CA System, or in an IVD-CE version according to EU directive EC/98/79. The MALDI Biotyper also has medical device registrations in numerous other countries. RUO versions of the MALDI Biotyper allow selected high-value antimicrobial resistance tests in translational research, and subtyping capabilities.