Population changes in Halobacteriovorax cultured with protist & prey

Here, we investigate the growth trajectory and predation dynamics of protists, and HBx micro-predators in co-culture with a common prey, V. parahaemolyticus, in a time-series study in marine water microcosms. The microcosms were established with water samples collected from the Apalachicola Bay in northwest Florida, USA and amended with a suspension of prey bacteria. Samples were taken at a high temporal resolution (3-hour intervals for 5 days) to capture detailed measurements and changes in the growth responses of HBx and protists, using both culture- and molecular-based methods. The protists were counted by qPCR and flow cytometry. The HBx were counted by qPCR and a culture plating method