Phospholipid fatty acids provide information about the structure of soil microbial communities. We present methods for extraction from soil samples with a single-phase chloroform mixture, fractionation of extracted lipids using solid phase extraction columns, and methanolysis to produce fatty acid methyl esters, which are analyzed by capillary gas chromatography.
Quideau, S. A., McIntosh, A. C., Norris, C. E., Lloret, E., Swallow, M. J., Hannam, K. Extraction and Analysis of Microbial Phospholipid Fatty Acids in Soils. J. Vis. Exp. (114), e54360, doi:10.3791/54360 (2016).