Reporting by Matrix

Whether a result is reported as cells/mL, cells/g or cells/bead will depend on the sample matrix that was submitted for the analysis. For example, water samples will be reported as cells/mL, and Bio-Trap® samplers will be reported as cells/bead. Although there is not a direct conversion between cells/mL, cells/g and cells/bead, in our experience, they typically fall within 1-2 orders of magnitude from each other.  Both 10^4 DHC cells/mL and 10^4 DHC cells/bead are likely to be sufficient concentrations for a useful rate of reductive dechlorination.  The best way to understand concentrations is to access the Microbial Insights database and review the percentile rankings for each organism related to that particular matrix.  This will give you a lot of comparative information to locations around the world.