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Pyrosequencing reveals the diversity and variability of bacterial communities on speleothem surfaces in Kartchner Caverns. Marian Ortiz - PhD Student Soil, Water and Environmental Science Dept Dr. Raina Maier’s Laboratory. Introduction. Background
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Pyrosequencing reveals the diversity and variability of bacterial communities on speleothem surfaces in Kartchner Caverns Marian Ortiz - PhD Student Soil, Water and Environmental Science Dept Dr. Raina Maier’s Laboratory
Introduction • Background • Kartchner Caverns is near Benson, Arizona • Discovered in 1974 and kept secret for 14 years • Cave is oligotrophic with elevated CO2 and high humidity • NSF Microbial Observatory • Objective • Determine the structure and diversity of cave microbial communities • Hypothesis • Kartchner Caverns provides a habitat for unique microbial communities • Relevance • Discovery of new bacteria • Potential for new antibiotics, biosurfactants and other important secondary metabolites
Kartchner Caverns Swab Samples DNA Extraction • Methodology • Results PCR of V6 region of the Bacterial 16S rRNA gene 454 Pyrosequencing BW SA Analysis of Sequence Data * Operational taxonomic units
Bacterial phylogenetic distribution of two rooms in Kartchner Caverns Big Wall room Strawberry Alcove room • Conclusions • There is broad bacterial diversity in caves. • Different distribution of bacterial groups in different rooms of the cave, BUT…...