Answer :
Final answer:
PFGE is commonly used for epidemiological typing of bacterial strains, particularly useful in public health for tracking disease outbreaks. It is related to RFLP, which is utilized for DNA fingerprinting in forensic science to identify individuals and determine paternity.
Explanation:
A common use for Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) is epidemiological typing of bacterial strains. PFGE is a powerful technique that differentiates bacterial strains through the analysis of large DNA molecules that are broken down by restriction enzymes. This method is highly valued in public health and microbial research for tracking the spread of bacterial pathogens during outbreaks of diseases. In forensic science, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, a related technique, plays a similar role and is used for DNA fingerprinting. DNA fingerprinting aids in identifying individuals involved in a crime by comparing DNA samples from crime scenes with those from suspects or victims, determining paternity, and tracing genealogy. The amplification of DNA through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is essential both for PFGE and RFLP to generate sufficient quantities of DNA for analysis, which can also be applied to diagnostic purposes, such as detecting pathogens or predisposition to certain diseases.
