L. Raskin et al., QUANTIFICATION OF METHANOGENIC GROUPS IN ANAEROBIC BIOLOGICAL REACTORS BY OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBE HYBRIDIZATION, Applied and environmental microbiology, 60(4), 1994, pp. 1241-1248
The microbial community structure of anaerobic biological reactors was
evaluated by using oligonucleotide probes complementary to conserved
tracts of the 16S rRNAs of phylogenetically defined groups of methanog
ens. Phylogenetically defined groups of methanogens were quantified an
d visualized, respectively, by hybridization of P-32- and fluorescent-
dye-labeled probes to the 16S rRNAs from samples taken from laboratory
acetate-fed chemostats, laboratory municipal solid waste digestors, a
nd full-scale sewage sludge digestors. Methanosarcina species, members
of the order Methanobacteriales, and Methanosaeta species were the mo
st abundant methanogens present in the chemostats, the solid-waste dig
estors, and the sewage sludge digestors, respectively.