Articles | Volume 10, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-521-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-521-2024
Original research article
 | 
19 Jul 2024
Original research article |  | 19 Jul 2024

Improving measurements of microbial growth, death, and turnover by accounting for extracellular DNA in soils

Jörg Schnecker, Theresa Böckle, Julia Horak, Victoria Martin, Taru Sandén, and Heide Spiegel

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Cited articles

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Blazewicz, S. J. and Schwartz, E.: Dynamics of 18O Incorporation from H2 18O into Soil Microbial DNA, Microb. Ecol., 61, 911–916, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-011-9826-7, 2011. 
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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.
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