Dear Client,
We are pleased to announce our transition from our current Sanger-based sequencing approach to a new next-generation sequencing (NGS) bacterial 16S rRNA phylogenetic typing assay. This improved NGS assay will provide a more comprehensive assessment of bacterial species present within a sample, supporting informed result interpretation whilst maintaining turnaround times expected from our rapid molecular-based diagnostic service. This service will go live on 28th October 2026.
The move to NGS-based bacterial 16S rRNA typing offers a number of advantages including improved sensitivity and specificity, thereby enabling more reliable detection of single and mixed bacterial populations in complex patient sample types. Test reports will now include a detailed breakdown of the bacterial species identified and their relative abundance in the amplicon. This information, together with the clinical information provided by clients, will support interpretation of the results and help guide treatment and antimicrobial prescribing decisions Example reports are enclosed for reference and illustrate the additional information available through our NGS 16S rRNA typing assay. Importantly, our current pricing structure will remain unchanged.
We recognise that rapid turnaround from sample receipt to result is very important to our clients and therefore we are offering our NGS 16S rRNA phylogenetic typing service with equivalent turnaround times (four days) to our current Sanger-based screening methods.
As sequencing technologies continue to advance at Micropathology Ltd, our NGS diagnostic services provide a strong foundation for future developments in our testing services. We welcome your feedback on our services and value any suggestions you may have for future assay development in this area.
If you have any questions or feedback about our NGS 16S rRNA typing assay or the transition process, please feel free to contact our team.
Bacterial 16S Information Sheet