Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA is a type of PCR reaction in which the segments of amplified DNA are random. RAPD does not require any specific knowledge of the DNA sequence of the target organism, the identical 10-mer primers will or will not amplify a segment of DNA, depending on positions that are complementary to the primers’ sequence. RAPD is a cost effective yet powerful typing method for many bacterial species in which selection of right sequence for the primer is very important because different sequences will produce different band patterns and possibly allow for a more specific recognition of individual strains.
