Abstract
In microbiology, morphological observation does not generally provide valuable information for species identification. Identification of microorganisms has therefore relied on physiological characterization, although this method is available only after they are isolated and cultivated in the laboratory. Because over 99% of microorganisms in the natural environment cannot be cultivated by standard techniques, alternative methods are necessary for the detection and identification of a large fraction of natural microbial populations. This is of particular relevance to microorganisms in the anaerobic ecosystem, as each of them requires a specific culture condition according to its specialized ecological niche. In addition, cultivation of anaerobes is generally laborious and time consuming. Culture-independent molecular phylogenetic approaches developed in the last two decades have enabled the detection and identification of such natural microbial populations.
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Watanabe, K., Hamamura, N., Kaku, N. (2004). Molecular Identification of Microbial Populations in Petroleum-Contaminated Groundwater. In: Walker, J.M., Spencer, J.F.T., Ragout de Spencer, A.L. (eds) Environmental Microbiology. Methods in Biotechnology, vol 16. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-765-3:235
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-765-3:235
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Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-116-5
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