Molecular Approaches to Understanding Microbial Ecology

The diversity of microorganisms has been assessed so for by culturing them. However, most of the microorganisms are not amenable to culturing methodology, and are therefore difficult to characterize and identify. Microbial ecologists are now increasingly relying on molecular techniques to understand the microbial diversity. Among the most popular techniques are Temperature-Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (TGGE) and DenaturingGradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). Extraction and analysis of nucleic acids can help in assessment of the composition of microbial community. Monoclonal antibodies have been developed which in combination with fluorescence microscopy can help in identifying the components of a mixed bacterial community. The perception of microbial diversity is now undergoing significant changes with the application of recombinant DNA techniques such as DNA-DNA hybridization, nucleic acid fingerprinting and rRNA sequencing. Oligonucleotide hybridization probes have also been employed as important tools for establishing phenotypes and morphotypes of microorganisms.