Characterization and DNA Stable-Isotope Probing of Methanotrophic Bioaerosols.

ABSTRACT: The growth and activity of bacteria have been extensively studied in nearly every environment on Earth, but there have been limited studies focusing on the air. Suspended bacteria (outside of water droplets) may stay in the atmosphere for time frames that could allow for growth on volatile compounds, including the potent greenhouse gas methane. We investigated the ability of aerosolized methanotrophic bacteria to grow on methane in the airborne state in rotating gas-phase bioreactors. The physical half-life of the aerial bacterium-sized particles was 3 days. To assess the potential for airborne growth, gas-phase bioreactors containing the aerosolized cultures were amended with 1,500 ppmv ¹³CH₄ or ¹²CH₄. Three of seven experiments demonstrated

SUBMITTER: Dillon KP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9769660 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature