The feasibility of automated online flow cytometry for in-situ monitoring of microbial dynamics in aquatic ecosystems
Fluorescent staining coupled with flow cytometry (FCM) is often used for the monitoring, quantification and characterization of bacteria in engineered and environmental aquatic ecosystems including seawater, freshwater, drinking water, wastewater, and industrial bioreactors. However, infrequent grab...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2014-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00265/full |
| _version_ | 1811221609254486016 |
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| author | Michael Domenic Besmer Michael Domenic Besmer David Gregory Weissbrodt David Gregory Weissbrodt Bradley Eugene Kratochvil Juerg Andreas Sigrist Mathias Sebastian Weyland Frederik eHammes |
| author_facet | Michael Domenic Besmer Michael Domenic Besmer David Gregory Weissbrodt David Gregory Weissbrodt Bradley Eugene Kratochvil Juerg Andreas Sigrist Mathias Sebastian Weyland Frederik eHammes |
| author_sort | Michael Domenic Besmer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fluorescent staining coupled with flow cytometry (FCM) is often used for the monitoring, quantification and characterization of bacteria in engineered and environmental aquatic ecosystems including seawater, freshwater, drinking water, wastewater, and industrial bioreactors. However, infrequent grab sampling hampers accurate characterization and subsequent understanding of microbial dynamics in all of these ecosystems. A logic technological progression is high throughput and full automation of the sampling, staining, measurement, and data analysis steps. Here we assess the feasibility and applicability of automated FCM by means of actual data sets produced with prototype instrumentation. As proof-of-concept we demonstrate examples of microbial dynamics in (i) flowing tap water from a municipal drinking water supply network and (ii) river water from a small creek subject to two rainfall events. In both cases, automated measurements were done at 15-min intervals during 12 to 14 consecutive days, yielding more than 1000 individual data points for each ecosystem. The extensive data sets derived from the automated measurements allowed for the establishment of baseline data for each ecosystem, as well as for the recognition of daily variations and specific events that would most likely be missed (or miss-characterized) by infrequent sampling. In addition, the online FCM data from the river water was combined and correlated with online measurements of abiotic parameters, showing considerable potential for a better understanding of cause-and-effect relationships in aquatic ecosystems. Although several challenges remain, the successful operation of an automated online FCM system and the basic interpretation of the resulting data sets represent a breakthrough towards the eventual establishment of fully automated online microbiological monitoring technologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:02:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a827b91fea924a10853cf680934e915f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:02:22Z |
| publishDate | 2014-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-a827b91fea924a10853cf680934e915f2022-12-22T03:41:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2014-06-01510.3389/fmicb.2014.0026587418The feasibility of automated online flow cytometry for in-situ monitoring of microbial dynamics in aquatic ecosystemsMichael Domenic Besmer0Michael Domenic Besmer1David Gregory Weissbrodt2David Gregory Weissbrodt3Bradley Eugene Kratochvil4Juerg Andreas Sigrist5Mathias Sebastian Weyland6Frederik eHammes7Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyETH ZurichEawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyETH ZurichEawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyEawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyEawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyEawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyFluorescent staining coupled with flow cytometry (FCM) is often used for the monitoring, quantification and characterization of bacteria in engineered and environmental aquatic ecosystems including seawater, freshwater, drinking water, wastewater, and industrial bioreactors. However, infrequent grab sampling hampers accurate characterization and subsequent understanding of microbial dynamics in all of these ecosystems. A logic technological progression is high throughput and full automation of the sampling, staining, measurement, and data analysis steps. Here we assess the feasibility and applicability of automated FCM by means of actual data sets produced with prototype instrumentation. As proof-of-concept we demonstrate examples of microbial dynamics in (i) flowing tap water from a municipal drinking water supply network and (ii) river water from a small creek subject to two rainfall events. In both cases, automated measurements were done at 15-min intervals during 12 to 14 consecutive days, yielding more than 1000 individual data points for each ecosystem. The extensive data sets derived from the automated measurements allowed for the establishment of baseline data for each ecosystem, as well as for the recognition of daily variations and specific events that would most likely be missed (or miss-characterized) by infrequent sampling. In addition, the online FCM data from the river water was combined and correlated with online measurements of abiotic parameters, showing considerable potential for a better understanding of cause-and-effect relationships in aquatic ecosystems. Although several challenges remain, the successful operation of an automated online FCM system and the basic interpretation of the resulting data sets represent a breakthrough towards the eventual establishment of fully automated online microbiological monitoring technologies.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00265/fullAutomationDrinking WaterSensorsMonitoringOnlineStaining |
| spellingShingle | Michael Domenic Besmer Michael Domenic Besmer David Gregory Weissbrodt David Gregory Weissbrodt Bradley Eugene Kratochvil Juerg Andreas Sigrist Mathias Sebastian Weyland Frederik eHammes The feasibility of automated online flow cytometry for in-situ monitoring of microbial dynamics in aquatic ecosystems Frontiers in Microbiology Automation Drinking Water Sensors Monitoring Online Staining |
| title | The feasibility of automated online flow cytometry for in-situ monitoring of microbial dynamics in aquatic ecosystems |
| title_full | The feasibility of automated online flow cytometry for in-situ monitoring of microbial dynamics in aquatic ecosystems |
| title_fullStr | The feasibility of automated online flow cytometry for in-situ monitoring of microbial dynamics in aquatic ecosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | The feasibility of automated online flow cytometry for in-situ monitoring of microbial dynamics in aquatic ecosystems |
| title_short | The feasibility of automated online flow cytometry for in-situ monitoring of microbial dynamics in aquatic ecosystems |
| title_sort | feasibility of automated online flow cytometry for in situ monitoring of microbial dynamics in aquatic ecosystems |
| topic | Automation Drinking Water Sensors Monitoring Online Staining |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00265/full |
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