Question -

You are analyzing a soil sample isolated from the Gowanus Canal. Your sample has the smell of rotten eggs, indicating some type of bacterial activity is taking place. When you attempt to isolate bacteria from the sample through pure culture techniques, you do not find any bacterial colonies.

a) What bacterial process is taking place that results in the rotten egg smell?

b) Describe a technique you would use to identify the bacterium responsible for the odor?

c) You have been advised to study the SSU RNA of the Gowanus Canal sample rather than DNA. Why is this good advice?