Microbial life in the deep terrestrial subsurface

Fliermans, C.B.; Balkwill, David L.; Beeman, Ralph E.; Bledsoe, H.W.; Bollag, Jean‐Marc; Corey, Jack C.; Dodge, Celeste; Francis, A.J.; Fredrickson, Jim K.; Garland, T.R.; Ghiorse, William C.; Hicks, R.J.; Jones, Ralph E.; McFadden, K.M.; Madsen, Eugene L.; Meglen, Bob; Phelps, T. J.; Sargent, Kenneth A.; Sinclair, James L.; Suflita, Joseph M.; White, David C.; Wobber, F.J.

doi:10.2172/666265

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Although technical difficulties in sampling the subsurface environments have long limited the ecology study of groundwater and until recently, most people thought that these environments were virtually sterile (Gibert et al, 1994), there is no longer doubt that a large number and diversity of viable organisms exist in the subsurface and that their metabolic activities contribute to the cycling of energy and materials in this environment (Fliermans & Balkwill, 1989;Butler et al, 1997). Screening programs of the subsurface environment showed that groundwater bacteria are potentially able to degrade many natural and xenobiotic compounds such as pesticides, fertilizers, and industrial chemicals which can reach aquifers making these microorganisms attractive to in situ bioremediation (Gounot, 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Screening for exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria from sub-tropical polluted groundwater

Fusconi

Godinho

2002

Braz. J. Biol.

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A selection of exopolysaccharide (EPS)--producing bacterial strains was conducted in groundwater adjacent to an old controlled landfill in the City of São Carlos (São Paulo, Brazil). The strains were isolated in P and E media under aerobic and microacrophilic conditions at 25 degrees C. A total of 26 strains were isolated and based on the mucoid mode of the colonies, 6 were selected and their morphological, physiological and biochemical aspects were characterized. All strains presented pigmentation, ranging from yellow to orange and from pink to salmon, with a shiny glistening aspect in all tested media. Strains Lb, Lc and Lg, which excelled the others with regard to the mucoid mode of the colonies, were selected to be cultured in E medium with alternate sucrose and glucose as carbon sources in anaerobiosis at 25 degrees C to analyze the production of EPS. Strains Lc and Lg were classified as being of order Actinomycelates, suborder Corynebacterineae. Lg strain was identified as Gordonia polyisoprenivorans and Lc strain did not correspond to a known description and therefore a more detailed study is under preparation. Considering all ecological aspects and the metabolic potential associated with the microorganisms of the environment studied, as well as the capacity to produce pigment and EPS, and the presence of G. polyisoprenivorans, a rubber degrader bacterium, the potential of the groundwater analyzed is evident as a source of microorganisms to be utilized in studies related to environmental remediation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Screening for exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria from sub-tropical polluted groundwater

Fusconi

Godinho

2002

Braz. J. Biol.

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“…Bacteria capable of degrading toxic organic chemicals have been isolated from aquatic systems, deep wells, and terrestrial subsurface sites [4–7]. These microbial consortia represent resources that are physiologically diverse and economically important for genomic stability and the enhancement of bioremediation activities in the terrestrial subsurface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecofunctional enzymes of microbial communities in ground water

et al. 1997

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Biolog technology was initially developed as a rapid, broad spectrum method for the biochemical identification of clinical microorganisms. Demand and creative application of this technology has resulted in the development of Biolog plates for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, for yeast and Lactobacillus sp. Microbial ecologists have extended the use of these plates from the identification of pure culture isolates to a tool for quantifying the metabolic patterns of mixed cultures, consortia and entire microbial communities. Patterns that develop on Biolog microplates are a result of the oxidation of the substrates by microorganisms in the inoculum and the subsequent reduction of the tetrazolium dye to form a color in response to detectable reactions. Depending upon the functional enzymes present in the isolate or community one of a possible 4 x 10(28) patterns can be expressed. The patterns were used to distinguish the physiological ecology of various microbial communities present in remediated groundwater. The data indicate that one can observe differences in the microbial community among treatments of bioventing, 1% and 4% methane injection, and pulse injection of air, methane and nutrients both between and among wells. The investigation indicates that Biolog technology is a useful parameter to measure the physiological response of the microbial community to perturbation and allows one to design enhancement techniques to further the degradation of selected recalcitrant and toxic chemicals. Further it allows one to evaluate the recovery of the microbial subsurface ecosystem after the perturbations have ceased. We propose the term 'ecofunctional enzymes' (EFE) as the most descriptive and useful term for the Biolog plate patterns generated by microbial communities. We offer this designation and provide ecological application in an attempt to standardize the terminology for this relatively new and unique technology.

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Microbial life in the deep terrestrial subsurface

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

Screening for exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria from sub-tropical polluted groundwater

Screening for exopolysaccharide-producing bacteria from sub-tropical polluted groundwater

Ecofunctional enzymes of microbial communities in ground water

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