Development of a 16S rRNA gene primer and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method for rapid detection of members of the genus Megasphaera and species-level identification.

The genus Megasphaera is relevant to the environment, human health and food, and renewable energy for the future. In this study, a primer set was designed for PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses to detect and identify the members of Megasphaera. Direct detection and identification were achieved for environmental samples and isolates.