• Detection of microorganisms that are difficult/impossible to culture. E.g., HPV, Treponema pallidum
  • Identification of organisms isolated in pure culture
  • Rapid identification of organisms, from clinical specimens
  • Differentiation between closely related organisms (e.g., herpes simplex virus [HSV]-1 and 2)
  • Understanding the epidemiology and pathophysiology of STIs (e.g., DNA fingerprint analysis)
  • Improving sensitivity and specificity of serological assays by using cloned proteins and recombinant antigens.