MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is an automated method used for microbial identification by measuring a specimen's unique mass spectrum. During this process, a microorganism is mixed with a specialized matrix reagent on a disposable plate and irradiated with a high-intensity pulsed ultraviolet laser. This laser irradiation ejects gaseous ions from the microbe's chemical constituents, which are accelerated through a mass spectrometer at velocities determined by their mass-to-charge ratio ($m/z$). Reaching the detector at different times, these gaseous ions generate a mass spectrum plot of detector signal versus $m/z$ that is uniquely related to the organism's biochemical composition. Finally, comparing this mass spectrum to a library of reference spectra from known microorganisms allows for the identification of the unknown microbe.