Geothermal Microbial Community Analysis in Yellowstone

Five geothermal microbial communities in Yellowstone National Park (Figure 1) were sampled during summer-fall 2006 at the following research sites that have been subject to significant prior characterization: Crater Hills-Alice Spring (CH), Norris Geyser Basin- Beowulf Spring (NGB); Joseph's Coat Hot Springs-Scorodite Spring (JCHS); Mammoth Hot Springs-Narrow Gauge (MHS); Calcite Springs-Scary Spring (CS) [13] , [17] , [18] , [20] , [21] , [22] . The sites were chosen to represent a breadth of geochemical conditions and thermophilic phyla, and to focus exclusively on chemotrophic communities ranging in pH from 2.5 to 7.8 (Table 1). The location, physical and geochemical features of each sampling site (Table 1) are critical to understanding how organisms interface with geochemical processes. Microbial mat and or solid phase was sampled aseptically, placed on dry ice, and stored at −80°C until DNA extraction.