Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Microbiology Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Microbiology

U.S.-Korea Cooperative Research: Carbon Monoxide As A Substrate For Microbial Maintenance, Gary M. King Dec 2007

U.S.-Korea Cooperative Research: Carbon Monoxide As A Substrate For Microbial Maintenance, Gary M. King

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Bacteria play an important role in the global budget of carbon monoxide (CO). Largely unknown bacterial populations in soils and the water column of aquatic systems oxidize hundreds of teragrams per year, or about 10%-20% of the estimated annual flux to the atmosphere. In spite of their biogeochemical significance, relatively little is known about the identity of CO-oxidizing populations active in situ, their phylogenic and physiological diversity or the importance of CO as substrate for their basic metabolic needs. of CO oxidizers. It is clear that CO at high concentrations (> 1000 ppm) can serve as a sole source of …


Environmental Controls On The Landscape-Scale Biogeography Of Stream Bacterial Communities, Noah Fierer, Jennifer L. Morse, Sean T. Berthrong, Emily S. Bernhardt, Robert B. Jackson Sep 2007

Environmental Controls On The Landscape-Scale Biogeography Of Stream Bacterial Communities, Noah Fierer, Jennifer L. Morse, Sean T. Berthrong, Emily S. Bernhardt, Robert B. Jackson

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

We determined the biogeographical distributions of stream bacteria and the biogeochemical factors that best explained heterogeneity for 23 locations within the Hubbard Brook watershed, a 3000-ha forested watershed in New Hampshire, USA. Our goal was to assess the factor, or set of factors, responsible for generating the biogeographical patterns exhibited by microorganisms at the landscape scale. We used DNA fingerprinting to characterize bacteria inhabiting fine benthic organic matter (FBOM) because of their important influence on stream nutrient dynamics. Across the watershed, streams of similar pH had similar FBOM bacterial communities. Streamwater pH was the single variable most strongly correlated with …


Microbial Nitrogen Limitation Increases Decomposition, Joseph M. Craine, Carl Morrow, Noah Fierer Aug 2007

Microbial Nitrogen Limitation Increases Decomposition, Joseph M. Craine, Carl Morrow, Noah Fierer

Dartmouth Scholarship

With anthropogenic nutrient inputs to ecosystems increasing globally, there are long-standing, fundamental questions about the role of nutrients in the decomposition of organic matter. We tested the effects of exogenous nitrogen and phosphorus inputs on litter decomposition across a broad suite of litter and soil types. In one experiment, C mineralization was compared across a wide array of plants individually added to a single soil, while in the second, C mineralization from a single substrate was compared across 50 soils. Counter to basic stoichiometric decomposition theory, low N availability can increase litter decomposition as microbes use labile substrates to acquire …


Microbial Observatories: Kilauea Volcano Observatory For Carbon Monoxide-Oxidizing Bacteria, Gary M. King Jul 2007

Microbial Observatories: Kilauea Volcano Observatory For Carbon Monoxide-Oxidizing Bacteria, Gary M. King

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Volcanic activity regularly creates new landforms from deposits of tephra, ash and lava. These initially sterile, pristine deposits undergo a range of physical, chemical and biological transformations that lead in some cases to diverse, complex ecosystems such as Hawaiian rainforests. Recent activity by the Kilauea volcano has created unique opportunities to understand the timing and controls of complex ecosystem development, and to analyze the roles of microbes as pioneering colonists that contribute to plant development and succession. The newly established Kilauea Volcano Microbial Observatory will compare the diversity and activity of carbon monoxide-oxidizing bacteria colonizing two different deposits currently 45 …


In The Heat Of The Law, It's Not Just Steam: Geothermal Resources And The Impact On Thermophile Biodiversity, Donald J. Kochan, Tiffany Grant Dec 2006

In The Heat Of The Law, It's Not Just Steam: Geothermal Resources And The Impact On Thermophile Biodiversity, Donald J. Kochan, Tiffany Grant

Donald J. Kochan

Significant research has been conducted into the utilization of geothermal resources as a ‘green’ energy source. However, minimal research has been conducted into geothermal resource utilization and depletion impacts on thermophile biodiversity. Thermophiles are organisms which have adapted over millions of year to extreme temperature and chemical compositions and exist in hot springs and other geothermal resources. Their ability to withstand high temperatures makes them invaluable to scientific and medical research. Current federal and California case law classify geothermal resources as a mineral, not a water resource. Acquisition of rights to develop a geothermal resource owned or reserved by the …