MDA/IMS-MDA

MDA/IMS-MDA

Multiple displacement amplification (MDA) is a method commonly used for sequencing microbial genomes due to its ability to amplify templates larger than 0.5 Mbp, but it can also be used to study genomes of other sizes . In this method, 3’-blocked random hexamer primers are hybridized to the template, followed by synthesis with Phi 29 polymerase. Phi 29 performs strand-displacement DNA synthesis, allowing for efficient and rapid DNA amplification. Deep sequencing of the amplified DNA allows for accurate representation of reads, while sequencing depth provides better alignment and consensus for sequences.

Pros:
  • Templates used for this method can be circular DNA (plasmids, bacterial DNA)
  • Can sequence large templates
  • Can perform single-cell sequencing or sequencing for samples with very limited starting material
Cons:
  • Strong amplification bias. Genome coverage as low as ~6%
  • PCR biases can underrepresent GC-rich templates
  • Contaminated reagents can impact results