HR: 15:45h
AN: B24A-02    [Abstracts]
TI: Effects of Starvation of Bacterial Transport in the Subsurface: Impacts on Natural and Engineered Systems
AU: * Sharp, R
EM: robert.sharp@manhattan.edu
AF: Manhattan College, 4513 Manhattan College Parkway, Bronx, NY 10471 United States
AU: Cunningham, A
EM: al_c@montana.erc.edu
AF: Center for Biofilm Engineering Montana State University, 366 EPS Building P.O. Box 173980, Bozeman, MT 59717 United States
AB: The movement of bacteria in the subsurface is of great importance to many areas of science and engineering including biogeosciences, microbial ecology, public health and bioremediation. Many researchers have studied bacterial transport through natural and engineered porous media systems. However, few have studied how starvation, or survival under extreme oligatrophic conditions, may enhance bacterial transport in the subsurface. The impact of starvation on many types of bacteria was studied to determine how it may impact pathogen transport, in situ bioremediation, and microbial diversity in the subsurface. The studies determined how nutrient starvation changed cell size, cell shape, adhesion efficiency, exo-cellular polysaccharide production, and maintenance of genetic and phenotypic attributes. Results to be presented will demonstrate how starvation physically and physiologically changes bacterial cells to enhance their transport properties regardless of soil type, hydraulic conductivity or bacterial species. The work will also show how bacterial adhesion onto porous media can be reduced by starvation and what impact that has on bacterial transport though various types of soil and aquifer material. The results also show the physiological and genetic consequences of starvation and their potential impact on microbial ecology, degradative potential and over-all survival in the subsurface. Adversely, the results will indicate how the resuscitation of the starved cells within the sub-surface may change the hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer material, resulting in reduced permeability and variable hydraulic flow characteristics.
DE: 0400 Biogeosciences
DE: 1831 Groundwater quality
DE: 1832 Groundwater transport
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly