Description
In this project, seawater samples were collected from the Sargasso Sea at various depths in late October 2025. This specific study uses a sample depth of 1500 meters. This study asks: What microorganisms are present within each sample, and which carbon source is best to mimic the microorganisms' natural living environment? The objective of this study is to identify the unknown microorganisms that are present in each sample and to analyze how the carbon sources used to enrich the samples relate to the conditions of the sample’s sea-life environment. The unknown isolate samples are labeled as 01MA26 and 02MA26; these isolates went through ten-fold dilutions, and the last four dilutions were spread on seawater complete agar plates. From there, the plate with the most single colonies was chosen because that plate had a higher chance of constant single colonies and has a better chance to produce better results for PCR amplification . Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was done on each isolate, and a negative control was used to compare the results. Gel electrophoresis was done after, to verify if the PCR worked. If amplification was confirmed using agarose gel electrophoresis, it signifies that DNA has been amplified, and it will be seen visibly as it aligns with the DNA marker in the gel chamber. After confirmation, the DNA will be extracted and sent off for sequencing to allow proper identification of each isolate. Once identified, the isolates will be characterized using growth rate experiments to understand more of their specific properties. Then, using the information from characterization, the carbon sources can be compared to the actual enrichment sources that keep the organism nourished.