English: MALDI-TOF process. Original caption: Schematic diagram of the proposed workflow for combining lipid and protein MALDI-TOF MS analysis. For protein analysis, a colony is smeared on the target plate and overlaid with matrix. For analysis of lipid A, heat-inactivated microorganisms are submitted to mild-acid hydrolysis and the membranes resulting from this treatment are deposited on an adjacent position on the target plate, followed by matrix addition. Alternatively, for mycobacteria and filamentous fungi, heatinactivated colonies are directly smeared on the target plate and overlaid with the appropriate matrix. The combined approach can yield species- and subspecies level microbial identification and detect antibiotic resistance in one analysis.