Final answer:
Pathogen identification with mass spectrometry includes proteomic analysis, specifically protein profiling, using MALDI-TOF to compare peptide fragments against known microorganism spectra.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pathogen identification using mass spectrometry mainly includes protein profiling, which is a form of proteomic analysis. In this process, proteins from the pathogen are separated using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and then digested into smaller peptide fragments. These peptides are subsequently identified via mass spectrometry. The mass spectrometry technique referred to is often matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), which involves analyzing a mass spectrum unique to the pathogen and comparing it with reference spectra to identify the organism. This method does not typically include genetic sequencing or general chemical analysis, but focuses on the distinct proteins produced by the pathogen.