T h e application of the polymerase chain reaction ~l-s~ (PCR) to explore various areas of envi ronmenta l microbiology has the potential to solve m a n y difficult and unanswered questions about microbial activities in the env i ronment at the physiological and molecular levels. This review describes the use of PCR for the detection of specific microbes in envi ronmenta l samples and discusses...

The present study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of three root canal irrigants against Enterococcus faecalis, Candida albicans, and Staphylococcus aureus. These microorganisms were incubated in the presence of citric acid (6 and 10%), EDTA (17%), and NaOCl (0.5, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.25%). Agar diffusion tests were performed and redox indicator resazurin was used to evaluate the inhibitory effe...

The objective of this study was to compare conventional plating to SimPlate methods for enumeration of aerobic microorganisms, coliforms and Escherichia coli in samples from farm animals and their environment. Samples evaluated included rectal swabs, fecal material, bedding, litter and feed and soil from beef and dairy cattle, swine and poultry farms. Standard method agar pour plating and conve...

A growth medium with a specific oxidation-reduction potential containing peptone, dextrose, sodium succinate, sodium lactate, gelatin, sodium bicarbonate and blue tetrazolium, an indicator dye, in a tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer was used to detect the presence of microorganisms in blood. The procedure involved the introduction of blood (and bacteria) into the growth medium with the dye...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pulsed ultra-violet (UV) irradiation on inactivation of beer spoilage microorganisms. UV irradiation is nowadays cost effective enough to compete with traditional biological, physical, and chemical treatment technologies and has become an alternative to such methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS Photoinactivation effects of pulsed UV l...

In the oligotrophic marine environment there are ecological niches rich in nutrients and diverse in bacterial populations. One such niche is the coral surface mucus layer. Interactions amongst microorganisms found in coral mucus may be symbiotic or competitive; competing over space and food. It has been hypothesized that the microbial communities found on the coral surface may play a role in th...

Microorganisms decompose herbicides and they may serve as bioindicators of soil changes following herbicide application. Certain microbial species may be used as bioherbicides. This study has shown that Azotobacter is most sensitive to herbicide application; it is, therefore, a reliable indicator of the biological value of soil. The numbers of this group of nitrogen-fixing bacteria decrease con...

Culture-based methods for fecal indicator microorganisms are the standard protocol to assess potential health risk from drinking water systems. However, these traditional fecal indicators are inappropriate surrogates for disinfection-resistant fecal pathogens and the indigenous pathogens that grow in drinking water systems. There is now a range of molecular-based methods, such as quantitative P...

This study demonstrates both prokaryotic and eukaryotic community structures and dominant taxonomies in different positions of the greatest estuary reservoir for drinking water source in the world in four seasons of one year using 454 pyrosequencing method with total of 312,949 16S rRNA and 374,752 18S rRNA gene fragments, including 1,652 bacteria OTUs and 1,182 fungus OTUs. During winter and s...

The world of microorganisms comprises a vast diversity of live organisms, each with its individual set of genes, cellular components and metabolic reactions that interact within the cell and communicate with the environment in many different ways. There is a strong imperative to gain a broader view of the wired and interconnected cellular and environmental processes as a whole via the systems m...