Microbial community profiling and characterization of some heterotrophic bacterial isolates from river waters and shallow groundwater wells along the Rouge River, southeast Michigan.

This study was conducted to elucidate microbiological characteristics of river water and groundwater communities in order to improve our conceptual and predictive understanding of river and groundwater ecosystem processes, functioning and management. Rouge River bacterial communities from shallow groundwater and river water were screened using Biolog Ecoplates, which test for oxidation of selected carbon sources and by culturing heterotrophic bacteria. The isolates cultured from the samples were also characterized using the 16SrRNA gene-based approach.