Ribosomal DNA sequencing as a tool for identification of bacterial pathogens
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Updated: Sep 12, 2026

Next-generation Sequencing of 16S Ribosomal RNA Gene Amplicons
Published on: August 29, 2014
1Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Kolbert.Christopher@mayo.edu
Abstract:
Conventional methods for the identification and characterization of clinical isolates of bacterial pathogens sometimes fall short when such isolates exhibit unusual phenotypic profiles. Recent advances in DNA sequencing technology have greatly enhanced the ability of the microbiologist to determine the identity of a bacterial isolate. Given the relative objectivity of DNA sequence information and growing availability of sequence information databases, a significant movement is now afoot to use molecular methods for the identification of clinical pathogens.
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