Determination of bacterial number and biomass in the marine environment

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7282283

Watson, S W; Novitsky, T J; Quinby, H L; Valois, F W

Three techniques for the measurement of bacterial numbers and biomass in the marine environment are described. Two are direct methods for counting bacteria. The first employs an epifluorescence microscope to view bacteria that have been concentrated on membrane filters and stained with acridine orange. The second uses a transmission electron microscope for observing replicas of bacteria that are concentrated on membrane filters. The other technique uses Limulus amebocyte lysate, an aqueous extract from the amebocytes of the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, to quantitate lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in seawater samples. The biomass of gram-negative (LPS containing) bacteria was shown to be related to the LPS content of the samples. A factor of 6.35 was determined for converting LPS to bacterial carbon.

• Research Organization: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA
• OSTI ID: 7282283
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States) Vol. 33:4; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550700* -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ACRIDINE ORANGE
ACRIDINES
AMINES
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
ARTHROPODS
AZINES
BACTERIA
BIOMASS
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBON
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DYES
ECOSYSTEMS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXTRACTION
FILTERS
FLUORESCENCE
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INVERTEBRATES
LIPIDS
LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDES
LUMINESCENCE
MEASURING METHODS
MEMBRANES
MICROORGANISMS
MICROSCOPES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLYSACCHARIDES
PYRIDINES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SACCHARIDES
SEAWATER
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STAINS
WATER