Molecular Analysis of Resin-Embedded Corrosive Biofilm LayersMicrobiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is a serious problem that impacts nearly all industries and exacts a severe toll in terms of operating costs loss of production deterioration of capital equipment and the consequences of corrosion related failures. While a proactive step monitoring for MIC associated microorganisms is often hindered by the fact that sampling methods may not capture key members of the microbial community involved in MIC (sampling biases) and current reliance on conventional culture-dependent methods which may underestimate and oversimplify the problem (cultivation bias). Molecular biological tools (MBTs) based on analysis of DNA extracted directly from field samples circumvent the limitations of culture-depend methods. However sampling biases must also be addressed in order to ensure that molecular analyses truly provide more accurate and comprehensive MIC evaluation. Eckert et al (2003) have developed a method for embedding corrosion products and biofilms formed on corrosion coupons in a cured resin conserving their spatial orientation for a variety of analytical techniques. In the current study a procedure was developed for DNA extraction from discrete sections of the resin embedded biofilm. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was then used to quantify total bacteria and specific microorganisms commonly implicated in MIC. The development of the extraction procedure along with improvements in sectioning will permit the DNA based analyses (qPCR microarrays and even high-throughput sequencing) for the most direct characterization of microbial communities of corrosive biofilms.