Microbiology Commons^™

Investigation Of A Sulfur-Utilizing Perchlorate-Reducing Bacterial Consortium, Teresa Anne Conneely

Open Access Dissertations

We present research investigating how, with in depth knowledge of the community, microbial communities may be harnessed for bioremediation of hazardous water contaminants. We focused on the bacterial reduction of perchlorate, a common water contaminant. For this we studied the structure and capabilities of a novel sulfur-utilizing, perchlorate-reducing bacterial (SUPeRB) consortium. Initially, we characterized the minimal consortium that retained functional capabilities, using 16S rRNA and functional gene analysis. A diverse functional consortium dominated by Beta-Proteobacteria of the family Rhodocyclaceae and sulfur-oxidizing Epsilon-Proteobacteria was found. We also examined the optimal growth conditions under which perchlorate degradation occurred and uncovered the upper …