Is there any non-computational method for distinguishing haplotypes of a bacterial population?

Question

[Sama]

Is it possible for biologists to distinguish haplotypes of a bacterial population in the lab and using non-computational methods?

Answer 1

[Benn]

Yes, if these haplotypes have different biochemical properties you can test for these different properties in the lab (e.g., coagulase activity, antibiotic resistance, etc.).

[Sama]

Thank you. What methods biologists use to extract sequences or SNPs of different haplotypes of the bacterial population?

[Benn]

Do you mean in the wet lab?

If you have sequence information available of your different haplotypes you can design RFLP, which is PCR followed by restriction enzyme digestion.

If you don't have prior sequence information you can of course sequence your samples.

I am not sure if this is what you're asking?

Answer 2

[harold.smith.tarheel]

Technically, bacteria are haploid so do not have haplotypes. Are you asking about heterogenous populations of strains or species?

If the samples can be propagated in the lab, then it's trivial to grow clonal isolates from single cells and analyze those individually. If not, then PacBio sequencing is probably your best bet for discriminating largish (~10kbp) blocks of sequence diversity (although that method requires computation).