Bioinformatic analysis of data generated from MALDI mass spectrometry for biomarker discovery.

In this chapter we first describe the applications of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) in biomarker discovery. After a summary of the general analysis pipeline of MALDI MS data, each step of the pipeline will be elaborated in detail. In particular we try to provide a categorization of existing solutions with the hope that the reader can obtain a global picture on this topic. In addition we show how to apply such an analysis pipeline in protein and glycan profiling for biomarker discovery and for a deeper understanding of diseases. Finally we discuss the limitations of current analysis methods and the perspectives of future research.