A rapid fingerprinting approach to distinguish between closely related strains of Shewanella

► ITS-DGGE is a rapid and accurate method for differentiating Shewanella strains. ► Isolated strains of Shewanella from MFCs corroborate resolution power of ITS-DGGE. ► Ribosomal RNA gene is not a good indicator for bacterial metabolic capabilities. ► ITS-DGGE potentially link Shewanella identity to their physiology and ecology.