FIG. 1.

Enhancements in DNA pyrosequencing improved overall assay performance. (A) The mean numbers of interpretable bases obtained (when both the V1 and V3 regions were combined) showed a general increase during the course of the study, and specific refinements in DNA pyrosequencing chemistry and bioinformatics approaches are highlighted as discrete events in the timeline under the bar graph. (B) The implementation of PSQ Gold (Biotage) reagents included the addition of recombinant E. coli-derived, single-stranded DNA binding protein (Ssb), and the transition to PSQ Gold reagents resulted in increased percentages of bacterial isolates identified to the genus level (% Isolates Identified), increased percentages of species-level identifications (% Species Level Identification), and increased percentages of isolates with interpretable DNA sequence information in both variable regions, V1 and V3 (Adequate sequence for V1 & V3).