This dataset contains raw 16S rRNA gene and ITS amplicon sequences from a soil experiment investigating microbial colonization and community assembly in buried MGS-1 Mars regolith simulant soil, with different natural donor soils used to drive microbial community transfer.
To investigate how microbial communities shape soil structure in nutrient-poor environments, we buried Mars Global Simulant soil (MGS-1) in donor soils sourced from different ecosystems, each harboring unique microbial assemblages. After five weeks of incubation, we analyzed soil aggregate size distribution, stability, total carbon and nitrogen, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and soil chemical properties in MGS-1. Concurrently, bacterial and fungal communities were profiled using 16S rRNA gene and ITS amplicon sequencing, respectively. This dataset includes raw sequencing reads from both MGS-1 and donor soils, offering insights into microbial colonization, community assembly processes, and their contributions to early-stage soil structure development in initially sterile, nutrient-limited substrates.