Patent ID: 8071295
Filing Date: 2011-12-06
Classification: C12Q,G16B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A culture-independent method of determining the abundance of an environmental parameter in an environmental sample, said parameter not including bacteria, comprising the steps of: a. providing a first plurality of environmental samples at least some of which samples contain the environmental parameter; b. isolating a plurality of genomic DNAs from each of the samples provided in step a; c. isolating a plurality of 16S rRNA gene segments from each plurality of genomic DNAs isolated in step b; d. determining the abundance of each of said 16S rRNA gene segments in each plurality of 16S rRNA gene segments isolated in step c; e. determining the abundance of the environmental parameter in each of the samples provided in step a; f. correlating the abundance of each 16S rRNA gene segment determined in step d with the abundance of the environmental parameter determined in step e; g. selecting at least one 16S rRNA gene segment whose abundance correlates to the abundance of said environmental parameter, as determined in step f; h. providing an environmental sample set of at least one environmental sample; i. isolating a plurality of genomic DNAs from each environmental sample of the environmental sample set provided in step h; j. determining the abundance of said 16S rRNA gene segment selected in step g in each plurality of genomic DNAs isolated in step i; and k. inferring the abundance of the environmental parameter in each environmental sample of the environmental sample set provided in step h based upon the abundance of said 16S rRNA gene determined in step j in each environmental sample of the environmental sample set provided in step h.