Methods for the analysis of in situ activity and ecophysiology of bacteria within complex ecosystems
Combination of fluorescence in situ hybridization and microautoradiography
Over the last decade, the advent of molecular methods in microbial ecology has revealed fascinating insights into the microbial structure and diversity in the environment. However, these methods generally fail to reveal the function of the respective organisms within their ecological niches. The aim of this project is to develop and apply a microscopic method that allows the direct combination of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and microautoradiography (MAR) to simultaneously identify the specific substrate uptake pattern of radioactive substrates of individual cells within complex microbial consortia. The method is currently being used in research on the activity of different prokaryotes in the environment (e.g. nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria, phosphorus-accumulating bacteria and ANAMMOX bacteria in wastewater treatment plants). Furthermore, new combinations of MAR with other molecular techniques are currently tested and evaluated.
 Principles of FISH-MAR (PDF)
Investigated by: Holger Daims
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