Isolation of Halobacterium salinarum retrieved directly from halite brine inclusions

November 1, 2003

Journal Article

Isolation of Halobacterium salinarum retrieved directly from halite brine inclusions

Abstract

Halite crystals were selected from a 186m subsurface core taken from the Badwater salt pan, Death Valley, California to ascertain if halophilic Archaea and their associated 16S rDNA can survive over several tens of thousands of years. Using a combined microscope microdrill/micropipette system, fluids from brineinclusions were aseptically extracted from primary, hopper texture, halite crystals from 8 and 85 metres below the surface (mbls). U-Th disequilibrium dating indicates that these halite layers were deposited at 9600 and 97000 years before present (ybp) respectively.

Revised: November 10, 2005 | Published: November 1, 2003

Citation

Mormile M.R., M.A. Biesen, M. Gutierrez, A. Ventosa, J.B. Pavlovich, T.C. Onstott, and J.K. Fredrickson. 2003. Isolation of Halobacterium salinarum retrieved directly from halite brine inclusions. Environmental Microbiology 5, no. 11:1094-1102. PNWD-SA-6463.