Distribution, Diversity, and Function of Filterable Microorganisms in the Conwy River

Filterable microorganisms can participate in DOC (dissolved organic carbon) cycling in freshwater systems, however, due to difficulties in their isolation and characterization, their exact functional role in these systems remains largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine taxonomic identity and community dynamics of bacterial and archaeal communities residing in filtered fraction and unfiltered freshwater obtained from the Conwy River (North Wales, UK), and examine their role in DOC utilization. We will achieve this by monitoring a microcosm experiment with added nM concentrations of low molecular weight (LMW) compounds (amino acids, organic acids, and sugars) over 506 h via 14C-radioisotope tracking, targeted metabolomics, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and shotgun sequencing.