Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you have safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Environmental Topics
  • Laws & Regulations
  • Report a Violation
  • About EPA
Contact Us

Grantee Research Project Results

Characterization of Reductive-Dechlorinating Microbial Communities Using a Combination of Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization and PCR-Based Molecular Tools

EPA Grant Number: U915559
Title: Characterization of Reductive-Dechlorinating Microbial Communities Using a Combination of Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization and PCR-Based Molecular Tools
Investigators: Richardson, Ruth E.
Institution: University of California - Berkeley
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: December 1, 1999 through December 1, 2001
Project Amount: $73,516
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (1999) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Academic Fellowships , Safer Chemicals , Fellowship - Engineering

Objective:

The objective of this research project is to understand the microbial community structure of a mixed culture that fully dechlorinates chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons to ethene. Additional characterization of a partially dechlorinating culture (which produces vinyl chloride as the primary end-product) will provide evidence as to which populations are essential for the final and most important (from a public health standpoint) dechlorination step that converts vinyl chloride to ethene. By using a combination of molecular tools, it is possible to get a more complete picture of community structure than any single method would allow.

Approach:

In this study, two dechlorinating mixed cultures will be characterized and compared by a combination of 16S rDNA-based molecular methods: terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (T-RFLP), RFLP and sequencing of individual clones from clone libraries constructed from amplified community DNA, and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The cultures will originate from a soil sample from Alameda Naval Air Station that is contaminated with a combination of hydrocarbons and trichloroethene (TCE). One culture completely dechlorinates TCE and perchloroethene (PCE) to ethene, while the second, daughter culture dechlorinates only to vinyl chloride (VC), a known human carcinogen.

Expected Results:

This method of using a combination of molecular tools to characterize mixed cultures will make it possible to get a more complete picture of community structure than any single method would allow.

Supplemental Keywords:

reductive dechlorination, Dehalococcoides, chlorinated ethenes, TCE, FISH, T-RFLP, community structure, bioremediation., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Water, Waste, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Chemistry, Remediation, Restoration, Hazardous Waste, Bioremediation, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, Environmental Engineering, Groundwater remediation, Hazardous, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, dechlorination, microbiology, monitoring, hazardous waste treatment, reductive dehalogenation, bioremediation model, microbial degradation, in situ treatment, advanced treatment technologies, in situ remediation, biodegradation, dehalogenate, TCE degradation, acuatic ecosystems, biotechnology, in-situ bioremediation, aquifer remediation design, dehalogenation, fluorescent in situ hybridization, reductive dechlorination, contaminated groundwater, groundwater contamination, bioaugmentation, contaminated aquifers, groundwater pollution, degrade trichloroethylene, groundwater, aquifer remediation

Progress and Final Reports:

  • 2000
  • Final
  • Top of Page

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

    Site Navigation

    • Grantee Research Project Results Home
    • Grantee Research Project Results Basic Search
    • Grantee Research Project Results Advanced Search
    • Grantee Research Project Results Fielded Search
    • Publication search
    • EPA Regional Search

    Related Information

    • Search Help
    • About our data collection
    • Research Grants
    • P3: Student Design Competition
    • Research Fellowships
    • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
    Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
    Last updated April 28, 2023
    United States Environmental Protection Agency

    Discover.

    • Accessibility
    • Budget & Performance
    • Contracting
    • EPA www Web Snapshot
    • Grants
    • No FEAR Act Data
    • Plain Writing
    • Privacy
    • Privacy and Security Notice

    Connect.

    • Data.gov
    • Inspector General
    • Jobs
    • Newsroom
    • Open Government
    • Regulations.gov
    • Subscribe
    • USA.gov
    • White House

    Ask.

    • Contact EPA
    • EPA Disclaimers
    • Hotlines
    • FOIA Requests
    • Frequent Questions

    Follow.