Open AccessOn the reproducibility of microcosm experiments – different community composition in parallel phototrophic biofilm microcosms
Author(s) -
Roeselers Guus,
Zippel Barbara,
Staal Marc,
Van Loosdrecht Mark,
Muyzer Gerard
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2006.00172.x
Subject(s) - microcosm , biology , temperature gradient gel electrophoresis , biofilm , cyanobacteria , botany , phototroph , ecology , microbial population biology , species richness , microbial ecology , 16s ribosomal rna , bacteria , photosynthesis , genetics
Phototrophic biofilms were cultivated simultaneously using the same inoculum in three identical flow‐lane microcosms located in different laboratories. The growth rates of the biofilms were similar in the different microcosms, but denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of both 16S and 18S rRNA gene fragments showed that the communities developed differently in terms of species richness and community composition. One microcosm was dominated by Microcoleus and Phormidium species, the second microcosm was dominated by Synechocystis and Phormidium species, and the third microcosm was dominated by Microcoleus‐ and Planktothrix ‐affiliated species. No clear effect of light intensity on the cyanobacterial community composition was observed. In addition, DGGE profiles obtained from the cultivated biofilms showed a low resemblance with the profiles derived from the inoculum. These findings demonstrate that validation of reproducibility is essential for the use of microcosm systems in microbial ecology studies.