High-Throughput Methods for Culturing Microorganisms in Very-Low-Nutrient Media Yield Diverse New Marine Isolates

Microbial diversity studies based on the cloning and sequencing of DNA from nature support the conclusion that only a fraction of the microbial diversity is currently represented in culture collections. Out of over 40 known prokaryotic phyla, only half have cultured representatives. In an effort to culture the uncultured phylotypes from oligotrophic marine ecosystems, we developed high-throughput culturing procedures that utilize the concept of extinction culturing to isolate cultures in small volumes of low-nutrient media. In these experiments, marine bacteria were isolated and cultivated at in situ substrate concentrations-typically 3 orders of magnitude less than common laboratory media. Microtiter plates…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 9977930, 9977469
• MM
  M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust
• OS
  Oregon State University