Both microarray and sequencing require amplification for detection. While Vibrant's microarray methodology uses global amplification (i.e., 16s, 23s, ITR region, etc) to identify microorganisms, standard sequencing methods typically only use 16s rRNA. During amplification and hybridization to the microarray, all microbial DNA have equal opportunity to bind to microarray probes and be imaged. In contrast, dominant species get over-amplified using sequencing tools. Therefore, the data obtained by sequencing has limited value. Sequencing is also prone to errors and is often verified by a secondary method such as Sanger’s method in clinically important applications.
Learn more about 16s sequencing at https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s40168-018-0420-9.pdf and https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2017/04/04/124149.full.pdf
