Project II.2.3g: Characterizing communities - Archaea in 4 rivers
Project Name: II.2.3g Characterizing communities -Archaea in 4 rivers
Project Leads: Lydie Herfort and Peter Zuber
Project Description
Our goal is to describe the temporal variations in pelagic archaeal assemblages in temperate river water and to establish if changes are synchronized in 4 rivers sharing the same climatic forcing. In turn, we want to determine if the composition archaeal assemblages are predictable based on the environmental parameters measured.
Fit in program
It is essential to know if it is possible to predict microbial assemblages if we are to identify key microbial organisms that will serve as environmental sentinels. Thus far very little is known about pelagic Archaea in rivers, although they are likely to function significantly in the nitrogen cycle and possibly in the production and metabolism of 1 carbon substrates (methane).
Outcomes
Surface water was collected bi-monthly on the same day in the Columbia River, Lewis and Clark River, Young River and Deep River in 2006-2007. Archaeal assemblages will be characterized by SSU rRNA sequence analyses (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing) and related to environmental parameter.
