Automation of MLST using third-generation liquid-handling technology
The molecular characterization of bacterial pathogens of clinical significance i
The molecular characterization of bacterial pathogens of clinical significance is increasingly important. Methods, such as multilocus sequence typing (MLST), allow bacterial strains to be characterized during case clusters, for antibiotic-resistant strains to be monitored, and for the impact of new vaccines to be assessed. Our laboratory performs MLST on Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumonaie, Haemophilus influenzae , and Staphylococcus aureus . We have developed high-throughput automated methods to allow MLST to be performed in a time scale useful in a clinical setting. Here we describe the automation of MLST on a third-generation liquid-handling robot.