Solutions for Infectious Diseases

Importance of the Topic

Infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites continue to pose significant challenges for global health. Surveillance data demonstrate a rising incidence of bacterial infections over the past decade, underscoring the need for robust analytical methods to support prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Objectives and Overview

This solution guide presents a series of applications illustrating how advanced hyphenated techniques—liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS)—can be deployed to address key tasks in the avoidance, testing and care phases of infectious disease management.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The guide covers eight targeted workflows:

• Avoidance phase: separation and identification of long-chain oligonucleotides by Q-TOF LC–MS; quality control of synthetic peptides via dual-polarity MALDI-TOF MS; alcohol purity assays in hand sanitizers using headspace GC–FID.
• Testing phase: quantitation of protein biomarkers from dried plasma and blood spots by triple quadrupole LC–MS/MS; rapid microorganism identification through dedicated MALDI-TOF MS databases; detection of tuberculosis biomarkers in sputum by multidimensional GC–MS.
• Care phase: automated sample preparation and LC–MS/MS quantitation of remdesivir and its metabolite in plasma; impurity profiling of dexamethasone according to pharmacopeial standards using HPLC-UV coupled with triple quadrupole MS.

Main Results and Discussion

High-resolution Q-TOF LC–MS enabled baseline separation and mass accuracy (<2 ppm) for oligonucleotides from 10 to 60 bases. MALDI-TOF MS in negative mode produced cleaner peptide spectra by minimizing salt adducts and preserving labile functions. Headspace GC–FID delivered consistent alcohol quantitation (R² > 0.9998) while protecting the GC system from non-volatile contaminants. Triple quadrupole LC–MS/MS of dried plasma spots monitored 27 peptides with reduced matrix effects compared to blood spots. MALDI-TOF microbial profiling differentiated closely related species via a curated reference library. Heart-cut multidimensional GC–MS isolated 20 sputum biomarkers with minimal interference. Automated online sample preparation (CLAM-2040) achieved accurate remdesivir assays with walk-away convenience and precision (RSD < 3%). HPLC-UV/MS methods met Japanese and European Pharmacopeia criteria for dexamethasone impurity control with excellent repeatability.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enhanced separation and mass accuracy for large biomolecules accelerates vaccine and oligonucleotide R&D.
• Cleaner MALDI spectra improve QC workflows for peptide therapeutics.
• Non-contact headspace sampling safeguards GC instruments and streamlines sanitizer testing.
• High-throughput biomarker quantitation from minimal sample volumes supports clinical research and point-of-care studies.
• Rapid microbial identification aids infection control in clinical and industrial settings.
• Multidimensional GC techniques facilitate biomarker discovery in complex matrices like sputum.
• Automated sample prep modules reduce manual error and operator exposure in drug PK/PD assays.
• Regulatory-compliant impurity profiling ensures pharmaceutical safety and quality assurance.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Integration of AI-driven data processing and advanced separation media promises further improvements in throughput and sensitivity. Expanding mass spectral libraries and cloud-based identification platforms will accelerate microbial diagnostics. Emerging ambient ionization techniques and microfluidic front ends may enable point-of-care MS analysis for real-time monitoring of infectious agents and therapeutic compounds.

Conclusion

Advanced hyphenated MS technologies offer versatile solutions across prevention, diagnostics and therapeutic monitoring in infectious disease workflows. By leveraging robust separation, high mass accuracy and automation, these instruments enhance data quality, streamline laboratory operations and support decision-making from vaccine development to patient care.

Instrumentation Used

• LCMS-9030 Q-TOF LC–MS
• MALDI-8030 Dual-Polarity MALDI-TOF MS
• Nexis GC-2030 with HS-20 NX Headspace GC–FID
• LCMS-8060 Triple Quadrupole LC–MS/MS
• AXIMA Microorganism Identification MALDI-TOF MS
• MDGC/GCMS-2010 Multidimensional GC–MS
• CLAM-2040 Automated Sample Prep Module
• Nexera X2 and Nexera lite HPLC systems

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Notifiable Diseases, 2009 & 2019.
• Muroi M. et al. (2011) Analysis of 16S rRNA Homology in Escherichia Species. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.