Microbial diversity during composting of the biomaterial waste as revealed by next-generation sequencing

Abstract

Backgroud: Composting is used for many years as a useful tool to transform different types of organic matter through the activity of microbial communities. Compost harbors a large amount of microorganisms representing the reservoir of an unidentified biodiversity and depicts diverse habitats of microorganisms. Among these microorganisms, which are known by their ability to degrade organic matter, there are many bacterial and fungal species. Yet, there is a lack of studies related to the detailed microbial diversity in compost. Objectives: The aim of this work was to analyze the microbial diversity in a compost using the mix consisting of green, paper/cardboard, and textile waste. Methods: A next generation sequencing (NGS) approach was used. Total genomic DNA was isolated from a compost, and primers that target either the bacterial 16S rRNA or fungal nuclear ribosomal ITS were used for DNA amplification. The resulting amplicons were sequenced and analysed using either Mothur (for bacteria) or DADA2 (for fungi) programs. Results: Analysis of the obtained results revealed that the bacterial community consisted of five majority phyla, with maximum representation by Proteobacteria (29%), followed by Bacteroidetes (21%), Actinobacteria (12%), Firmicutes (7%), and Chloroflexia (6%). In addition, five major fungal phyla, with maximum representation by species of Ascomycota (28%), followed by Mucoromycota (22%), Basidiomycota (21%), Rozellomycota (14%), and Mortierellomycota (6%) were observed.