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Wiley InterScience

FEMS Microbiology Ecology

FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Volume 40 Issue 2, Pages 85 - 95

Published Online: 5 Jan 2006

© 2009 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved



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Stable isotopes and biomarkers in microbial ecology
H.T.S. Boschker* 1 , J.J. Middelburg 1
  1 Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, The Netherlands
  *Corresponding author. boschker@cemo.nioo.knaw.nl
Copyright 2002 Federation of European Microbiological Societies
KEYWORDS
Biomarker • Phospholipid-derived fatty acid • Stable isotope analysis • Gas chromatography-combustion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry • 13C natural abundance • 13C labelling

ABSTRACT

The use of biomarkers in combination with stable isotope analysis is a new approach in microbial ecology and a number of papers on a variety of subjects have appeared. We will first discuss the techniques for analysing stable isotopes in biomarkers, primarily gas chromatography-combustion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and then describe a number of applications in microbial ecology based on 13C. Natural abundance isotope ratios of biomarkers can be used to study organic matter sources utilised by microorganisms in complex ecosystems and for identifying specific groups of bacteria like methanotrophs. Addition of labelled substrates in combination with biomarker analysis enables direct identification of microbes involved in specific processes and also allows for the incorporation of bacteria into food web studies. We believe that the full potential of the technique in microbial ecology has just started to be exploited.


Received 28 September 2001, Revised 19 November 2001, Accepted 15 January 2002

DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)
10.1111/j.1574-6941.2002.tb00940.x About DOI

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