[3H]Thymidine Incorporation To Estimate Growth Rates of Anaerobic Bacterial Strains

The incorporation of ³H]thymidine by axenic cultures of anaerobic bacteria was investigated as a means to measure growth. The three fermentative strains and one of the methanogenic strains tested incorporated ³H]thymidine, whereas the sulfate-reducing bacterium and two of the methanogenic bacteria were unable to incorporate ³H]thymidine during growth. It is concluded that the ³H]thymidine incorporation method underestimates bacterial growth in anaerobic environments.