MLVA31 genotyping of Bacillus anthracis strains with Nanopore amplicon-sequencing

The project aimed to develop a targeted amplicon sequencing method for the Nanopore platform that has been combined with in-silico multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) of 31 loci for culture-free strain-level subtyping of Bacillus anthracis directly from environmental samples. The method is suitable for on-site pathogen genotyping directly from low-pathogen-containing environmental samples, thereby facilitating the establishment of links between cases and the identification of the source strain. Consequently, it is a powerful tool for field epidemiological and biodefence laboratories in conducting preliminary epidemiological or forensic investigations of natural or bioterrorism-related outbreaks of B. anthracis.