Lab method
16S rRNA sequencing
Bacterial gene sequencing ID concept
sixteen S R-R-N-A
High-yield clue
Conserved regions anchor amplification; the variable (hypervariable) regions are what distinguish organisms in the database match.
Overview
A molecular identification concept in which conserved regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene serve as universal primer sites, and the intervening variable regions are compared with reference databases.
Classification
- Molecular identification concept
- Sequencing vocabulary
Lab & identification clues
- Conserved/variable region vocabulary
- Database match concept
- Useful in slow-growing or hard-to-identify bacteria discussions
Associations
- Bacterial taxonomy
- MALDI-TOF comparison
- Molecular ID workflows as concepts
Commonly confused with
- PCR
- MALDI-TOF MS
- NAAT
Your notes
Original concept summary for coursework. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e and NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology; reviewed 2026-06. Describes vocabulary and interpretation concepts only; not a lab protocol and not for handling specimens or identifying patient isolates.