Hot springs are regarded as treasury of valuable thermophiles. Like other bacteria, thermophiles are not easily cultivated using conventional culture methods. We used an advanced cultivation method, the filter plate microbial trap (FPMT), to isolate bacteria from thermal springs. In total, 184 isolates were obtained from five thermal springs using the FPMT and standard agar plate method, and their 16S rRNA gene sequences were analyzed. FPMT allowed us to obtain a culture collection that was larger, richer, and more novel than that obtained by standard cultivation. Seven novel species were obtained using the FPMT technique, whereas only one was isolated using a standard cultivation. We also found clear differences in the patterns of phylogenetic diversity and physiological properties between isolates from two cultivation methods. The results have encouraged us to apply the FPMT method in other extreme environments and offer further support for fostering the development of new cultivation methods.
Keywords: In situ cultivation; bacterial competition; growth characteristics; thermal spring; thermophilic bacteria.