Visualization of microorganisms in acidophilic biofilms


Visualization of microorganisms in acidophilic biofilms

Brockmann, S.; Arnold, T.

Biofilms are ubiquitous and so they can also be found in regions with high concentrations of heavy metals. Due to their ability to change geochemical parameters e.g. O2-concentrations, Eh, pH, and by generating metabolites they are very important for the investigation of transport processes of heavy metals in nature. However, the influence of biofilms on the migration of uranium in contaminated environments, e.g. the former uranium mining areas in eastern Germany, was disregarded so far. In the former underground uranium mine in Königstein thick biofilms in form of streamers were observed in the mine adit drainages and in form of dripstone-like biofilms with slimy endings.
The biofilm structure was visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Fluorescent dyes were used for staining the microorganisms and the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Unfortunately, the biofilms from acid mine drainages (AMD) have pH-values not higher than 3 and the most common fluorescent dyes are not stable below pH-values of 4. Hence, the first step in this study was to find new acid-stable fluorescent dyes to stain the acidophilic microorganisms without any increase of the pH. For this purpose a variety of new fluorescent dyes were tested and the most suitable ones were compared with the common fluorescent dyes DAPI and SYTO 59. It was found that the selected new fluorescent dyes did very well stain acidophilic biofilm microorganisms whereas DAPI and SYTO 59 fail.

  • Poster
    8th Symposium on remediation in Jena “Jenaer Sanierungskolloquium”: Geo-bio-processes at geochemical barriers, 28.-29.09.2009, Jena, Deutschland

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Publ.-Id: 13132