This project is designed to develop new technology in molecular screening of tundra soil biota. The researchers intend to modify cutting-edge techniques that utilize oligonucleotide probes bonded to microchips, which would be inserted into soil samples. The probes would be amplified using the Polymerase Chain Reaction technology (PCR) and sequenced, then subsequently compared to known sequences of biota through computer searches or by direct comparison with a sample library. The technique will allow more rapid characterization of soil microbes compared to more traditional methods, while additionally recovering DNA for more detailed study.
