soil metagenome Metagenome

Increased exploration and exploitation of resources in the Arctic is leading to a higher risk of petroleum contamination. A number of Arctic microorganisms can use petroleum for growth-supporting carbon and energy, but traditional approaches for stimulating these microorganisms (e.g. nutrient addition) have varied in effectiveness between sites. Consistent environmental controls on microbial community response to disturbance from petroleum contaminants and nutrient amendments across Arctic soils have not been identified, nor is it known whether specific taxa are universally associated with efficient bioremediation. In this study, we contaminated 18 varied Arctic soils with diesel and treated subsamples of each with monoammonium phosphate (MAP). Bacterial community composition of uncontaminated, diesel-contaminated, and diesel + MAP soils was assessed through multiplexed 16S rRNA gene sequencing on an Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine, while hydrocarbon degradation was measured by GC analysis. The predictability with which bacterial communities respond to these disturbances suggests that costly and time-consuming contaminated site assessments may not be necessary in the future. Top 15 cm soils collected from across the Arctic, left untreated, or treated with diesel or diesel nutrients.