Microcosm: CLSM micrographs of generation of exopolymeric substances (EPS) by phytoplankton and bacteria with and without polysaccharide inhibitor at various concentrations of WAF

Both phytoplankton and bacteria secrete extracellular enzymes actively that help them degrade the complex molecules to provide them simple carbon (sugars) and nitrogen (amino acids) molecules that can be easily assimilated. This process supports bacterial growth on exopolymeric substances (EPS) and helps support their cell division. However, this process does not lead to depletion of EPS, as only a fraction is consumed by bacteria. Due to the sticky nature of the EPS, the newly formed bacteria will tend to adhere to the EPS, and this will lead to the eventual formation and increase in the size of aggregates. To test this, we added DCB (2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile; an inhibitor of polysaccharide production in diatoms) to Thalassiosira pseudonana in the presence and absence of oil. This dataset contains the confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) micrographs depicting the changes in EPS and microbes showing the effects of DCB and WAF. Other related microcosm datasets are available under GRIIDC UDIs R6.x807.000:0022 and R6.x807.000:0027.

浮游植物与细菌均会主动分泌胞外酶，帮助自身降解复杂分子，以获取可直接同化利用的简单碳（糖类）与氮（氨基酸）分子。该过程可支持细菌依托胞外聚合物（exopolymeric substances, EPS）生长，并助力细菌细胞分裂。然而该过程并不会导致EPS被完全耗竭，因为仅会有部分EPS被细菌消耗。由于EPS具有粘性特性，新生成的细菌会倾向于附着在EPS上，最终促使聚集体形成并使其尺寸不断增大。为验证这一推测，我们在添加与不添加原油的条件下，向假微型海链藻（Thalassiosira pseudonana）体系中加入DCB（2,6-二氯苯甲腈，2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile，一种硅藻多糖合成抑制剂）。本数据集包含共聚焦激光扫描显微镜（confocal laser scanning microscopy, CLSM）显微图像，用以展示EPS与微生物的变化情况，体现DCB与水可溶组分（Water-accommodated fraction, WAF）的作用效果。其他相关的微宇宙实验数据集可通过GRIIDC UDIs编号R6.x807.000:0022与R6.x807.000:0027获取。