Metagenomics for biogas production

Next-generation sequencing technology allows culture- independent analysis of species and genes present in a complex microbial community. Such metagenomics may overcome the inability to culture microbes in isolation. Microbial communities of interest are for example responsible for making biogas. Many applications in metagenomics focus on 16S RNA analysis. We here evaluate the possibility of whole genome analysis (WGS) as approach for metagenomics studies.
Samples (Table 1) from three biogas installations fed with different feedstock were used for DNA isolation and WGS analysis. Short (75b) Illumina paired-end DNA sequence reads were generated and assembled into larger continuous stretches (contigs),
Acknowledgements
Results show that WGS is feasible for complex community analysis. Large groups of organisms (for example the class Methanomicrobia) are present in all samples with a possible role in the biogas production pathway.
Assemble reads into contigs
•meta-velveth as metagenomics reads assembler
Sequence
similarity
search
•proteome reference database from all currently available Bacteria and Achaea genomes
Assign hits to taxa
•Lowest common ancestor method incorporated in MEGAN4
Such studies will help to identify and use microbial species for future improvements of biogas production dependence on process parameters and feedstock.