Articles | Volume 10, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-521-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-521-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Original research article
| 
19 Jul 2024
Original research article |
| 19 Jul 2024
| 19 Jul 2024
Improving measurements of microbial growth, death, and turnover by accounting for extracellular DNA in soils
Jörg Schnecker
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Theresa Böckle
Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Julia Horak
Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Victoria Martin
Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Taru Sandén
Department for Soil Health and Plant Nutrition, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
Heide Spiegel
Department for Soil Health and Plant Nutrition, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
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Short summary
Microbial processes are driving the formation and decomposition of soil organic matter. In contrast to respiration and growth, microbial death rates currently lack distinct methods to be determined. Here, we propose a new approach to measure microbial death rates. This new approach to determine microbial death rates as well as dynamics of intracellular and extracellular DNA separately will help to improve concepts and models of C dynamics in soils in the future.
Microbial processes are driving the formation and decomposition of soil organic matter. In...
