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Abstract

The growth of phototrophic sulfur bacteria in benthic systems is restricted to well-defined layers within the sedimentary oxygen, sulfide, pH and light gradients. In order to culture these microorganisms under more ecologically relevant conditions, we have developed a Benthic Gradient Chamber (BGC) in which phototrophic sulfur bacteria can be grown within experimentally imposed solute and light gradients. The new autoclavable device is composed of a reconstituted sand core sandwiched in between a lower anoxic sulfide-containing compartment and an upper oxic compartment. The core can be illuminated from above by a collimated light beam. An axenic biofilm of Thiocapsa roseopersicina strain EP 2204 developed from a tiny inoculum within the sand core, using a 5-week incubation period and a 16:8 h light/dark illumination regime. The metabolic activities in this biofilm were inferred from the analyses of oxygen, sulfide and pH profiles, and their shifts during light-dark cycles.

Thiocapsa roseopersicina, Oxygen, Sulfide gradient, Light gradient, Axenic biofilm, Diffusion-limited growth, Sulfide oxidation, Minielectrode

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© 1996 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
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