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Comparisons of Protocols for Decontamination of Environmental Ice Samples for Biological and Molecular Examinations

S. O. Rogers,^1,2* V. Theraisnathan,¹ L. J. Ma,^2, Y. Zhao,^2, G. Zhang,¹ S.-G. Shin,¹ J. D. Castello,² and W. T. Starmer³

Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403,¹ Faculty of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York 13210,² Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244³

Received 5 September 2003/ Accepted 7 January 2004

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.

Present address: Whitehead Institute, MIT Center for Genome Research, Cambridge, MA 02141.

Present address: School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201.

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