Insight into the microbial mechanisms for the improvement of composting efficiency driven by Aneurinibacillus sp. LD3

This work explored the microbial mechanisms for the improvement of composting efficiency driven by thermotolerant lignin-degrading bacterium Aneurinibacillus sp. LD3 (LD3). Results showed that LD3 inoculant prolonged the thermophilic period by 4 days, improved the final content of humic acid, total phosphorus (TP), nitrogen, potassium and seed germination index. Inoculating LD3 enhanced the relative abundance of thermotolerant and phosphate-solubilizing microbes including the phyla of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteriota, and the genus of Bacillus, Thermoactinomyces, and Pseudomonas. Metabolic function analysis showed that sequences involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism were boosted, while sequences associated with human disease were reduced after inoculating LD3. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that Aneurinibacillus has a significant positive correlation with temperature, TP, Bacillus, and Thermoactinomyces. This study provides useful information for understanding the microbial mechanisms of LD3 promoting composting efficiency, and reveals the tremendous potential of LD3 in the resource utilization of organic solid wastes.