Quantification of Ammonia Oxidizing Bacterial Abundances in Environmental Samples by Quantitative-PCR

Quantitative-PCR (qPCR) enables the quantification of specific DNA targets, such as functional or phylogenetic marker genes associated with environmental samples. During each qPCR cycle, the number of copies of a gene (or region) of interest in DNA samples is determined in real time using a fluorescence-based label and compared to a standard serial dilution. Here, we describe a qPCR method to quantify the ammonia oxidizing bacteria involved in the first step of nitrification, using the amoA gene as a proxy of their abundance. The preparation of the standards from environmental samples and qPCR is presented in detail for specifically quantifying microbial abundance in environmental samples such as soil.