Biomonitoring complex microbial communities using random amplified polymorphic DNA and principal component analysis

This study demonstrates a method for describing changes in complex microbial communities without bias in ex situ cultivation. Bulk DNA was extracted and purified at regular intervals from two different model systems over a period of three weeks. Random amplified polymorphic DNA was used to generate DNA fingerprints, the polymerase chain reaction products were separated and detected by an automated sequencer and translated into data points, which were compiled into a matrix and assessed by principal component analysis. The reproducibility of the method was evaluated, and its ability to monitor overall changes in complex microbial communities was demonstrated.