Isolation and Characterization of a Low-Temperature, Cellulose-Degrading Microbial Consortium from Northeastern China.

The lack of efficient ways to dispose of lignocellulosic agricultural residues is a serious environmental issue. Low temperatures greatly impact the ability of organisms to degrade these wastes and convert them into nutrients. Here, we report the isolation and genomic characterization of a microbial consortium capable of degrading corn straw at low temperatures.

Effect of thermal treatment of illite on the bioavailability of copper and zinc in the aerobic composting of pig manure with corn straw.

The large amount of various types of heavy metals in animal manure applied to agricultural field has caused severe threat to the ecosystems of soil environments. In this study, the effect of thermal treatment of illite on the bioavailability of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in the aerobic composting of pig manure with corn straw biochar was investigated. The objectives of this study were to characterize the variations in the bioavailability of Cu and Zn in the aerobic composting of pig manure added with illite treated with high temperatures and to identify the relatively dominant microbes involved in the formation of humus and passivation of heavy metals in pig manure composting based on 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing analysis.