When strains are evolving at 1 to 10 nucleotides per year per genome, it is important to address as much of the genome sequence information as possible within the limits of what can be achieved accurately. This cannot be 100% of the genome with current sequencing technologies. For example, regions that are repeatedly present in the genome either identically or with minor variations (for example the ribosomal RNA sequences) are inherently difficult to address. Exactly how much

Sequence Typing (ST) is a widely established and used methodology. It is most certainly better than its predecessors from the era before affordable and accessible DNA sequencing, and its development and implementation was an enormous step forward for pathogen identification and the study of bacterial population genetics. In its original form, MLST, it was very much a DNA-based version of its protein-based predecessor, only better in every meaningful way. The conceptual predec