A pure culture from a patient specimen is suspected to contain Streptococcus pneumoniae. You perform PCR using universal primers targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Agarose gel electrophoresis confirms successful amplification, with a clear PCR product visible on the gel.
Based on this result, what can you conclude?

Question

A pure culture from a patient specimen is suspected to contain Streptococcus pneumoniae. You perform PCR using universal primers targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Agarose gel electrophoresis confirms successful amplification, with a clear PCR product visible on the gel.

Based on this result, what can you conclude?

Answer

The 16S rRNA gene is too conserved to be useful for bacterial identification

Answer

The PCR result suggests the bacterium is likely an environmental contaminant

Answer

The PCR product must be sequenced and analysed using a tool such as Nucleotide BLAST to identify the bacterium

Answer

The PCR product confirms the identity of the bacterium as  Streptococcus pneumoniae

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A pure culture from a patient specimen is suspected to contain Streptococcus...

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