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Stable Isotope-Labeled Single-Cell Raman Spectroscopy Revealing Function and Activity of Environmental Microbes

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Stable Isotope Probing

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2046))

Abstract

Microorganisms play a key role in driving the global element (C, N, H, P, and S) cycling. However, the function and activity of environmental microbes remain largely elusive because the vast majority of them are yet uncultured. Recent achievements in single cell stable isotope-labeled Raman spectroscopy enable direct investigation of function and activity of individual microbes in complex environmental communities. Here, this protocol describes a workflow to investigate environmental microbes in soil and water by combining 15N, 2D, and 13C stable isotope labeling with different single-cell Raman techniques, including normal Raman, resonance Raman (RR), and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Their applications in investigating functional bacteria driving the N and C cycles, and metabolically active cells are described.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (21777154 and 91851101), National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFD0200201), Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB15020302, XDB15020402), and the K.C. Wong Education Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China

    Li Cui, Kai Yang & Yong-Guan Zhu

Authors
  1. Li Cui
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  2. Kai Yang
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  3. Yong-Guan Zhu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Li Cui .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Marc G. Dumont

  2. School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Marcela Hernández García

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Cui, L., Yang, K., Zhu, YG. (2019). Stable Isotope-Labeled Single-Cell Raman Spectroscopy Revealing Function and Activity of Environmental Microbes. In: Dumont, M., Hernández García, M. (eds) Stable Isotope Probing. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2046. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9721-3_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9721-3_8

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-9720-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-9721-3

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