Implementation and evaluation of amyloidosis subtyping by laser-capture microdissection and tandem mass spectrometry.

Background: Correct identification of the amyloidosis-causing protein is crucial for clinical management. Recently the Mayo Clinic reported laser-capture microdissection (LCM) with liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) as a new diagnostic tool for amyloid diagnosis. Here, we report an independent implementation of this proteomic diagnostics method at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Amyloidosis Centre in Brisbane, Australia.

MixMC: A Multivariate Statistical Framework to Gain Insight into Microbial Communities.

Culture independent techniques, such as shotgun metagenomics and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing have dramatically changed the way we can examine microbial communities. Recently, changes in microbial community structure and dynamics have been associated with a growing list of human diseases. The identification and comparison of bacteria driving those changes requires the development of sound statistical tools, especially if microbial biomarkers are to be used in a clinical setting.