Step 8: Match the unknown sources to known sources.
Jackson Estuarine Lab researchers use digital images and software that determines the percent similarity of the unknown-source ribotypes from the streams and estuaries to known source ribotypes on file in a database. The image below indicates that the unknown was determined to match a human source known at a 93% similarity (small red arrow), although one band is missing and the frist two bands are slightly off-centered. The microbiologist is resposible for setting the parameters that will guide the software in making matches. For the purpose of our MST project, a match of 80% or more was considered a source identification. A more automated, and therefore more precise, process in the MBLR watershed allowed a higher percent match to be used as a minimum. Contact Dr. Steve Jones at UNH Jackson Estuarine Lab for more information on ribotype matching.

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