Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Quantifying bacterial population dynamics in compost using 16S rRNA gene probes.

Patrick D Schloss1, Anthony G Hay, David B Wilson

  • 1Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Riley-Robb Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
|September 16, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Compost microbial communities shift dynamically, with bacterial 16S rRNA genes increasing significantly. Low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria and Bacillus species dominate later stages of composting.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Driving mechanisms and economic coupling development of agricultural net carbon sink in Chongming Island, Shanghai: a synergistic approach using LMDI-Tapio and entropy weight methods.

Environmental science and pollution research international·2026
Same author

Risk of Bias in Experiments, Quasi-Experiments and Natural Experiments Across Disciplines: Discussion Paper and Assessment Framework.

Campbell systematic reviews·2026
Same author

Citric acid-driven metabolic regulation strategy for coordinating nitrogen retention and phosphorus activation in aerobic composting.

Bioresource technology·2026
Same author

Therapy-Associated Polyposis in Pediatric Cancer Survivors.

Pediatric blood & cancer·2026
Same author

Using and distinguishing evidence from non-randomised studies of interventions.

BMJ evidence-based medicine·2026
Same author

Inhibition of de novo fatty acid synthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2025

Area of Science:

  • Microbial Ecology
  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Molecular Ecology

Background:

  • Composting offers a model system for studying ecological dynamics like succession and community stability.
  • Understanding microbial community shifts is crucial for optimizing composting processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify changes in phylogenetic group abundance during composting using rRNA gene probes.
  • To track the succession of bacterial communities in laboratory-scale compost reactors.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized hierarchical small sub-unit (SSU)-based rRNA gene probes for microbial quantification.
  • Monitored relative abundance of specific phylogenetic groups over time in compost reactors.
  • Correlated microbial shifts with environmental parameters like pH and temperature.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Bacterial 16S rRNA genes increased from 37% to 83% of total SSU rRNA genes.
  • Pseudomonas and low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria (LGC-GPB) were dominant groups.
  • A pH drop between 4.6-4.8 correlated with reduced abundance of specific taxa.
  • LGC-GPB and Bacillus rRNA genes significantly increased by 84 hours.

Conclusions:

  • Composting involves significant microbial succession, with a notable increase in bacterial abundance.
  • Environmental factors like pH and temperature influence the dynamics of microbial communities during composting.
  • The study highlights the dominance shifts between bacterial groups like Pseudomonas and LGC-GPB throughout the composting process.