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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Experimental Column Setup for Studying Anaerobic Biogeochemical Interactions Between Iron (Oxy)Hydroxides, Trace Elements, and Bacteria
Published on: December 19, 2017
Enrichment and isolation of ferric-iron- and humic-acid-reducing bacteria
Kristina L Straub1, Andreas Kappler, Bernhard Schink
1Department of Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Abstract:
In anoxic habitats, ferric iron oxides and humic acids are widespread, and ferric-iron- and humic-acid-reducing microorganisms presumably play an important role in the oxidation of organic matter. Representative strains of ferric-iron- or humic-acid-reducing bacteria were isolated from a wide range of freshwater or marine environments. Most of them are strict anaerobes, and facultatively anaerobic microorganisms reduce ferric iron oxides or humic acids only after oxygen has been consumed. Hence, anaerobic techniques have to be used for the preparation of media as well as for the cultivation of microorganisms. Furthermore, special caution is needed in the preparation of ferric iron oxides and humic acids.
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