Principles and Discriminatory Power of PCR-based ORF Typing (POT) Method

Abstract

Molecular epidemiology is a method used to characterize bacterial isolates based on genetic features. Molecular epidemiology provides valuable information for identifying strains spreading within hospitals. The use of PCR-based ORF typing (POT) is increasing in clinical research laboratories because of its ease of use. POT has attractive features, such as quick turnaround time and genotype sharing. However, the ability of POT to differentiate between strains is lower than that of more modern methods like whole-genome sequencing, because it only examines a limited portion of the genome. Users should know POT's features and use it to control the transfer of specific strains.