Advantages and disadvantages of using molecular techniques to investigate intestinal bacterial populations
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| High throughput and relatively short learning time with most techniques | Difficult to standardise extraction of genetic material from each species equally. Severe bias possible in mixed populations |
| Anaerobic handling and expertise not required | Can be very expensive |
| Samples can be frozen for later analysis | Selection of primers and probes can introduce severe bias in detection |
| DNA can be transported easily between laboratories | Many methods are not quantitative so confirmatory analysis is necessary |
| Unculturable species are detectable | Impossible to model ecosystem |
| In theory, down to one molecule of target DNA can be quantified. | Some methods are very insensitive |