IDBac: an open-access web platform to identify bacteria and analyze relationships in culture collections using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

N Nyssa K. Krull M Michael Strobel J Julia Saulog L Liana Zaroubi B Bruno S. Paulo M Mandisa Timba D Douglas R. Braun G Gabrielle Mingolelli J Jessia Raherisoanjato R Robert A. Shepherd A Abigail F. Scott C Carlo De Silva C Claire Fergusson Z Zachary Daniel S Shailaja K. Pokharel S Sean Romanowski A Antonio Hernandez M Mónica Monge-Loría C Claire E. Dylla M Manasi M. Natu V Valentina Z. Petukhova C Chase M. Clark N Neha Garg P Paul R. Jensen (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego) A Adriana Blachowicz C Chelsi D. Cassilly L Lisa Guan D D. Cole Stevens J Jaclyn M. Winter S Shaun M. K. McKinnie B Barbara I. Adaikpoh S Skylar Carlson E Erin P. McCauley W William W. Metcalf T Tim S. Bugni (Pharmaceutical Sciences Division) M Michael W. Mullowney E Eric G. Pamer M Matthew T. Henke H Hazel Barton D David O. Carter (Laboratory of Forensic Taphonomy, Forensic Sciences Unit, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Chaminade University of Honolulu) A Alessandra S. Eustáquio R Roger G. Linington L Laura M. Sanchez (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California-Santa Cruz) M Mingxun Wang B Brian T. Murphy

Abstract

Abstract The identification and analysis of bacteria is central to the microbiological sciences. While gene sequencing methods have been the standard to achieve this, use of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS), particularly in clinical microbiology, can provide high-throughput identification to the subspecies level. However, biotyping has yet to be adopted outside of clinical settings due to the lack of a centralized public database of MS protein signatures that would facilitate isolate identification via spectral comparison. Further, most current MALDI MS data analysis platforms lack meaningful ways to compare properties from large numbers of bacterial isolates. Herein we present the IDBac web platform, a crowd-sourced central knowledgebase of protein MS signatures spanning seven bacterial phyla. Accompanying the knowledgebase is analysis infrastructure to identify unknown isolates, probe relationships within culture collections using metadata integration, and visualize specialized metabolite differences within groups of closely related bacteria. To highlight this utility and encourage wide community contribution, examples of each are presented.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 1, Issue 1
Published July 23, 2026
ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio

ISSN: 2041-1723 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (45)

N

Nyssa K. Krull

M

Michael Strobel

J

Julia Saulog

L

Liana Zaroubi

B

Bruno S. Paulo

M

Mandisa Timba

D

Douglas R. Braun

G

Gabrielle Mingolelli

J

Jessia Raherisoanjato

R

Robert A. Shepherd

A

Abigail F. Scott

C

Carlo De Silva

C

Claire Fergusson

Z

Zachary Daniel

S

Shailaja K. Pokharel

S

Sean Romanowski

A

Antonio Hernandez

M

Mónica Monge-Loría

C

Claire E. Dylla

M

Manasi M. Natu

V

Valentina Z. Petukhova

C

Chase M. Clark

N

Neha Garg

P

Paul R. Jensen

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego

A

Adriana Blachowicz

C

Chelsi D. Cassilly

L

Lisa Guan

D

D. Cole Stevens

J

Jaclyn M. Winter

S

Shaun M. K. McKinnie

B

Barbara I. Adaikpoh

S

Skylar Carlson

E

Erin P. McCauley

W

William W. Metcalf

T

Tim S. Bugni

Pharmaceutical Sciences Division

M

Michael W. Mullowney

E

Eric G. Pamer

M

Matthew T. Henke

H

Hazel Barton

D

David O. Carter

Laboratory of Forensic Taphonomy, Forensic Sciences Unit, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Chaminade University of Honolulu

A

Alessandra S. Eustáquio

R

Roger G. Linington

L

Laura M. Sanchez

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California-Santa Cruz

M

Mingxun Wang

B

Brian T. Murphy