Recalcitrant materials

Functional processes are essentially the same in both freshwater and marine systems, the differences become apparent when the emphasis is placed on the source of the organic matter (OM). The source of this OM affects the rate at which it is used not the overall process of use (Wetzel, 2000). These rates differ because of the greater influx of humic or recalcitrant materials in inland systems versus the dominating inputs of autochthonous OM in marine systems. These studies show that bacterial populations do respond to differences in the DOM pool. The challenge now lies in increasing the scope of these studies to find patterns in the spatiotemporal distribution... 

Distribution of marine fungal species will follow substrate availability, particularly for more recalcitrant materials, which are less suitable for recycling by bacteria and other degraders, and for which there is less competition from other saprotrophic groups. Although the water column of the open ocean can at times have relatively high levels of organic matter... 

The liquid corona technology can treat hazardous or toxic organic contaminants in water. When the technology is used to treat water, the plasma generates very reactive species that react with the contaminants in the water. The technology developer claims that the technology is very effective on materials that are recalcitrant to other methods of destruction. 

All cells have to be broken open to remove the cell contents. To accomplish cell lysis the authors use a combination of homogenizing and grinding steps. For recalcitrant tissue a small rock grinder (i.e., ring grinder) is used. The authors advise the experimenter to perform a trial run on their plant material to establish the number and duration of homogenization steps. These should always be the minimum required to break open the cells. Excessive... 

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