Abstract
A technique of potential use to the biotechnology industry was developed for studying the survival of bacteria in aqueous extracts of soil. The aqueous extracts of soil were placed into test tubes, amended as desired, inoculated with bacteria containing recombinant DNA, and incubated. Most bacteria introduced into filter-sterilized soil extracts were capable of multiplying and maintained populations of 10 E6 to 10 E8 cfu/ml over 13 days. However, bacteria introduced into nonsterile soil extracts at 10 E5 cfu/ml were found to decrease by 2–3 logs over a 13-day period. The soil extract method revealed that recombinant DNA plasmids had no significant effect on survival of thePseudomonas spp. andEscherichia coli strains examined. Extracts from soil provide a convenient and homogeneous milieu for estimating relative competitiveness and documenting survival characteristics of genetically engineered microorganisms. The use of aqueous extracts of soil offer convenience, a means of obtaining homogeneous cell suspensions, and ease of experimental replication over the inoculation of bacteria uniformly into soil.
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