Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42791402›Full record

ArticleParasitology research2026

Optimization of tick identification via MALDI-TOF MS for implementation in routine diagnostics.

Maximilian Münch, Andreas Wieser, Christof Geldmacher, Stefan Kammermeier, Reinhard K Straubinger, Ard M Nijhof, Thomas Maier, Lidia Chitimia-Dobler

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Parasitology research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Maximilian MünchFraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Immunology, Infection and Pandemic Research IIP, Türkenstraße 87, 80799, Munich, Germany.
Andreas WieserFraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Immunology, Infection and Pandemic Research IIP, Türkenstraße 87, 80799, Munich, Germany.
Christof GeldmacherFraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Immunology, Infection and Pandemic Research IIP, Türkenstraße 87, 80799, Munich, Germany.
Stefan KammermeierDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital LMU, Munich, Germany.
Reinhard K StraubingerChair of Microbiology and Mycology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU, Munich, Germany.
Ard M NijhofInstitute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Thomas MaierBruker Daltonics GmbH & Co. KG, Bremen, Germany.
Lidia Chitimia-DoblerFraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Immunology, Infection and Pandemic Research IIP, Türkenstraße 87, 80799, Munich, Germany. lidia.chitimia-dobler@itmp.fraunhofer.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Ticks are important vectors of pathogens with substantial medical and veterinary relevance, a threat that may be further increased with the spread of invasive tick species. Reliable tick identification is relevant for accurate diagnostic elucidation of transmission pathways, and the development of targeted surveillance strategies and risk assessments. A standardized, rapid, and cost-effective identification workflow that can be implemented across laboratories is needed. Previous studies have shown that MALDI-TOF MS is a promising, objective, and economical approach for tick identification. However, the methodology remains insufficiently standardized and is not yet routinely applied for vector identification. The aim of this study was therefore to optimize MALDI-TOF MS-based tick identification for routine use in diagnostic laboratories. A simplified and standardized protocol for protein extraction from whole tick legs via brief incubation in 70% formic acid is presented. This protocol provides a robust basis for the development of a curated MALDI Biotyper® reference library, enabling reliable, expert-independent tick identification and supporting epidemiological surveillance of vectors and vector-borne pathogens.

Indexed as

Diagnostic Tests, RoutineSpectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-IonizationTicksAnimalsBiotyper®Ixodid tick identificationMALDI-TOF MSProtein extractionProtein fingerprinting

Identifiers

PMID42791402
PMCPMC13615165

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.