Molecular methods for the identification of microorganisms in complex communities

Taxonomical identification of microorganisms in complex communities is of high importance for different branches of biological sciences, for example food technology, ecology, and medicine. Molecular, rDNA-dependent methods for detection and identification of microorganisms allow rapid, precise and reliable analysis of such microbial communities. In comparison to traditional, culture-dependent techniques, molecular methods are less labour-consuming, they allow identification of as yet uncultured microorganisms and are under constant development, thus have better perspectives for use in the future. These molecular techniques can be used to estimate both qualitative and quantitative fluctuations in a microbial population of interest and are also helpful in estimating its complexity. In this paper, the most commonly used molecular, culture-independent, rDNA-based methods for microbial discrimination within complex communities and their application are described.