title: Comparisons of protocols for decontamination of environmental ice samples for biological and molecular examinations.
abstract: Drilling and laboratory manipulations of glacial ice cores introduce contemporary microbes and biomolecules onto the cores. We report herein a systematic comparative study of several decontamination protocols. Only treatment with 5% sodium hypochlorite eliminated all external contaminating microbes and nucleic acids while maintaining the integrity of those within the cores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA. srogers@bgnet.bgsu.edu
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Theraisnathan
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S-G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Castello
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Starmer
mesh_terms: D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D007053:Ice; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D007053:Ice; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite