We have developed a rapid, sensitive, and highly specific assay for detecting and monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infections by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization timeof- flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). As MALDI-TOF mass spectrometers are available in a clinical setting, our assay has the potential to serve as alternative to the commonly used reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTqPCR) assays to detect and monitor SARS-CoV-2 infections. Sample preparation prior to MALDI-TOF-MS involves the tryptic digestion of SARS-CoV-2 proteins, followed by an enrichment of virus-specific peptides from SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein via magnetic antibody beads. Our MALDI-TOF-MS method allows the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein as low as 8 amol/μl. MALDI-TOF mass spectra are obtained in just a few seconds, which makes our MS-based assay suitable for a high-throughput screening of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare facilities in addition to PCR. Due to the specific detection of virus peptides, different SARS-CoV-2 variants are readily distinguished from each other. Specifically, we show that our MALDI-TOF-MS assay discriminates SARS-CoV-2 delta (B.1.617.2) variant from all other variants in patients’ samples, making our method highly valuable to monitor the emergence of new virus variants. [1]
Literature:
[1] Kollhoff, L., Kipping, M., Rauh, M. et al. Development of a rapid and specific MALDITOF mass spectrometric assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Clin Proteom 20, 26 (2023).
