title: Characterization of bacterial and fungal communities in composted biosolids over a 2 year period using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.
abstract: Composting is a microbial process that converts organic waste into a nutrient-rich end product used in horticultural and agricultural applications. The diversity and long-term succession of microorganisms found in composted biosolids has been less characterized than other composts. In this study, bacterial and fungal communities found in composted biosolids aging from 1 to 24 months were studied using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing. The results revealed high levels of diversity, where 53 bacterial species belonging to 10 phyla and 21 fungal species belonging to 4 phyla were identified. Significant differences were observed when comparing the bacterial DGGE patterns of young compost samples, whereas no differences were observed in samples over 8 months. For fungal patterns, no significant differences were observed during the first 4 months of composting, but the diversity then significantly shifted until 24 months. The results indicate that patterns of bacterial species vary during the first few months of composting, whereas fungal patterns generally vary throughout the whole process, except during early stages. The description of the main microbial groups found in composted biosolids could find various applications, including the discovery of biotechnologically relevant microorganisms and the development of novel markers allowing quantitative monitoring of key microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Universite de Moncton, 165 Massey Ave, Moncton, NB E1A 3E9, Canada.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Novinscak
authors.forename: Nadine J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: DeCoste
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Surette
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filion
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods*; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S