Introduction

Here we present supporting information to the scientific project "Dynamic Steep Gradient Culture (DSGC): Isolation, Characterization, and Ecological Studies of Motile Gradient Bacteria", which is funded by the Danish National Science Research Council (SNF, STENO-scholarship, project #57350, 3 years period starting september 2004).

The general aim of the project is the development of new culturing techniques for motile microorganisms (Dynamic steep gradient culture: DSGC), which will mimic a variety of physico-chemical gradient systems found in microbial communities. The DSGC will allow the enrichment and isolation of ecologically relevant motile gradient bacteria, which hitherto have escaped cultivation. The new technique will mainly be applied within habitats showing oxygen-sulfide counter-gradients and harboring a multitude of motile bacteria. Successful isolation of bacteria from this group, will allow extensive studies regarding their morphology, phylogeny, motility behavior, physiology, and ecological significance. Finally, the experimental approach will be extended to other gradient systems (e.g. hydrogen-oxygen, sulfide-nitrate, and ammonium-oxygen counter-gradients).