Location
University of Nevada Las Vegas, Student Union Ball Room
Start Date
6-8-2009 9:30 AM
End Date
6-8-2009 12:00 PM
Description
The first manifestations of global change will most likelv be observed in the Earth's atmosphere. Changing wind patterns, for example, may effect the long distance dispersal of microor-g anisms. The overall objective of this research is to correlate molecular assessments of microbial community structure from cloud water and snow samples, obtained from DRI's Storm Peak Laboratory atop Mt. Werner in Colorado, with atmospheric data and calculated air mass back trajectories. Our activities for summer of 2009 will be a focused proof-of-concept exercise to determine if intact microbial DNA and viable cells can be recovered from cloud water and alpine snow samples. Specific methods employed will include DNA extraction and PCR amplification of the bacterial 16s rRNA gene, community fingerprinting (T-RFLP), flow cytometric cell counting, and dilution plate counting.
Keywords
Climate change; Long distance dispersal of micro-organisms; Microbial DNA; Weather patterns; Wind patterns
Disciplines
Climate | Meteorology | Microbiology
Language
English
Long distance microbial transport in air: Global change implications
University of Nevada Las Vegas, Student Union Ball Room
The first manifestations of global change will most likelv be observed in the Earth's atmosphere. Changing wind patterns, for example, may effect the long distance dispersal of microor-g anisms. The overall objective of this research is to correlate molecular assessments of microbial community structure from cloud water and snow samples, obtained from DRI's Storm Peak Laboratory atop Mt. Werner in Colorado, with atmospheric data and calculated air mass back trajectories. Our activities for summer of 2009 will be a focused proof-of-concept exercise to determine if intact microbial DNA and viable cells can be recovered from cloud water and alpine snow samples. Specific methods employed will include DNA extraction and PCR amplification of the bacterial 16s rRNA gene, community fingerprinting (T-RFLP), flow cytometric cell counting, and dilution plate counting.
Comments
Abstract & poster