Microbial Community Analysis: Methods and Applications

This lecture covers the methods used in microbial ecology to analyze microbial communities, including culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques. It discusses the application of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for visualizing specific microbial species, genetic analyses using PCR, and the use of stable isotopes to study microbial transformations. The lecture also explores techniques like microsensors, flow cytometry, and single-cell genomics to link microbial functions to individual cells. Various case studies and examples are presented to illustrate the practical applications of these methods in studying microbial activities in nature.