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In the thesis Aerosol MALDI mass spectrometry for bioaerosol analysis is described how the aerosol mass spectrometer of the TU Delft has been further developed for the on-line analysis of bioaerosols. Due to the implemented improvements mass spectra with high resolution and a high mass range can be obtained from single protein containing aerosol particles. Fluorescence is used to select the biological fraction of an aerosol: when a particle emits fluorescence when irradiated with UV-laser light the particle is ionised. The ions formed are detected and form the final mass spectrum. With an off-line sample preparation method has been demonstrated that bacteria particles can be analysed with the aerosol mass spectrometer. With an on-line sampler preparation method three bacterial species have been analysed and could be discriminated from each other. However, the resolution and the mass range of the on-line prepared bacteria particles is not the same as obtained with off-line prepared bacteria particles, due to a not (yet) optimal on-line sample preparation method. The on-line sample preparation method can be optimized by using a solvent in which the MALDI matrix and the proteins are soluble. An aerosol mass spectrometer capable of the analysis of single bioaerosol particles can be used for the detection of a biological attack, in sterile production processes and in microbiology to study processes within a single bacterial cell for instance. |
