Molecular tools for probing the microbiome
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 31, 2025

Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
Published on: October 15, 2019
Marcelo Der Torossian Torres1, Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez2
1Machine Biology Group, Departments of Psychiatry and Microbiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Penn Institute for Computational Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/mdt_torres.
Abstract:
The microbiome plays essential roles in health and disease. Our understanding of the imbalances that can arise in the microbiome and their consequences is held back by a lack of technologies that selectively knock out members of these microbial communities. Antibiotics and fecal transplants, the existing methods for manipulating the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract, are not sufficiently pinpointed to reveal how particular microbial genes, strains, or species affect human health. A toolset for the precise manipulation of the microbiome could significantly advance disease diagnosis and treatment. Here, we provide an overview of current and future strategies for the development of molecular tools that can be used to probe the microbiome without producing off-target effects.
Related Concept Videos
Modern Molecular Taxonomy
Applications of Molecular Taxonomy
Methods of Classification and Identification
MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry
Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) is a commonly...

