Potential microbial contamination during sampling of permafrost soil assessed by tracers.

ABSTRACT: Drilling and handling of permanently frozen soil cores without microbial contamination is of concern because contamination e.g. from the active layer above may lead to incorrect interpretation of results in experiments investigating potential and actual microbial activity in these low microbial biomass environments. Here, we present an example of how microbial contamination from active layer soil affected analysis of the potentially active microbial community in permafrost soil. We also present the development and use of two tracers: (1) fluorescent plastic microspheres and (2) Pseudomonas putida genetically tagged with Green Fluorescent Protein production to mimic potential microbial contamination of two permafrost cores. A protocol with special emphasis on avoiding microbial contaminatio

SUBMITTER: Bang-Andreasen T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5322388 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature