Indirect Redox Transformations of Iron, Copper, and Chromium Catalyzed by Extremely Acidophilic Bacteria.

Experiments were carried out to examine redox transformations of copper and chromium by acidophilic bacteria (, and ), and also of iron (III) reduction by spp. under aerobic conditions. Reduction of iron (III) was found with all five species of tested, grown aerobically on elemental sulfur.

Quantitative Monitoring of Microbial Species during Bioleaching of a Copper Concentrate.

Monitoring of the microbial community in bioleaching processes is essential in order to control process parameters and enhance the leaching efficiency. Suitable methods are, however, limited as they are usually not adapted to bioleaching samples and often no taxon-specific assays are available in the literature for these types of consortia. Therefore, our study focused on the development of novel quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays for the quantification of , and and comparison of the results with data from other common molecular monitoring methods in order to evaluate their accuracy and specificity.

Quantification of Microbial Communities in Subsurface Marine Sediments of the Black Sea and off Namibia.

Organic-rich subsurface marine sediments were taken by gravity coring up to a depth of 10 m below seafloor at six stations from the anoxic Black Sea and the Benguela upwelling system off Namibia during the research cruises Meteor 72-5 and 76-1, respectively. The quantitative microbial community composition at various sediment depths was analyzed using total cell counting, catalyzed reporter deposition - fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) and quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR). Total cell counts decreased with depths from 10(9) to 10(10) cells/mL at the sediment surface to 10(7)-10(9) cells/mL below one meter depth.

Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane at a Marine Methane Seep in a Forearc Sediment Basin off Sumatra, Indian Ocean.

A cold methane seep was discovered in a forearc sediment basin off the island Sumatra, exhibiting a methane-seep adapted microbial community. A defined seep center of activity, like in mud volcanoes, was not discovered. The seep area was rather characterized by a patchy distribution of active spots.

The deep biosphere in terrestrial sediments in the chesapeake bay area, virginia, USA.

For the first time quantitative data on the abundance of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya in deep terrestrial sediments are provided using multiple methods (total cell counting, quantitative real-time PCR, Q-PCR and catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization, CARD-FISH). The oligotrophic (organic carbon content of ∼0.2%) deep terrestrial sediments in the Chesapeake Bay area at Eyreville, Virginia, USA, were drilled and sampled up to a depth of 140 m in 2006.