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Microbial composition of biofilms in a brewery investigated by fatty acid analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridisation and isolation techniques

  • Applied Microbial and Cell Physiology
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Abstract

Biofilms associated with brewery plants can harbour spoiling microorganisms that potentially damage the final product. Most beer-spoiling microorganisms are thought to depend on numerous interactions with the accompanying microbiota. However, there is no information on the microbial community structure of biofilms from bottling plants. The conveyors that transport the bottles to and from the plant are known as potential sources of microbial contamination of beer. Consequently, the material buildup from two conveyors was analysed using a cultivation/isolation approach, and the culture-independent techniques of whole cell fatty acid analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). Heterogeneous communities were present at both conveyors. Although characteristic fatty acids for Eukarya were present, FISH-signals for Eukarya were extremely low. The Proteobacteria, in particular the Gammaproteobacteria, were abundant at both sample sites. Bacterial isolates were obtained for every dominating group detected by FISH: the Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, the Xanthomonadaceae, the Actinobacteria, the Bacteroidetes and the Firmicutes.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the joint project partners Mr. D. Sommer and Mr. H. Frank, Privatbrauerei Rolinck, Dr. F.-J. Methner, Bitburger Brauerei and Dr. A. Tamachkiarow and Prof. Dr. H.-C. Flemming, University of Duisburg. We thank Dr. U. Friedrich for his valuable support concerning the in situ hybridisation technique. This work was supported by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt and the Fond der Chemischen Industrie.

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  1. Abteilung Mikrobiologie, Fachbereich Biologie/Chemie, Universität Osnabrück, 49069, Osnabrück, Germany

    Markus Timke, Dorothee Wolking, Ngoc Quynh Wang-Lieu, Karlheinz Altendorf & André Lipski

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  1. Markus Timke
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  2. Dorothee Wolking
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  3. Ngoc Quynh Wang-Lieu
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  4. Karlheinz Altendorf
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  5. André Lipski
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Correspondence to André Lipski.

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Timke, M., Wolking, D., Wang-Lieu, N.Q. et al. Microbial composition of biofilms in a brewery investigated by fatty acid analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridisation and isolation techniques. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 66, 100–107 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-004-1601-y

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