Genomics and microbial dynamics in green waste composting: A mini review

Composting, a biologically driven process, can transform green waste into nutrient-rich soil amendments. Molecular biology is becoming increasingly popular among researchers for understanding microbial dynamics to understand the structure and function of biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and other macromolecules. Genomics is the favoured method of among researchers in environmental engineering, specifically during composting. It allows the researchers to analyse complex microbial communities at different stages of composting without the need for cultivation. Many researchers used 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene sequencing, ITS region sequencing, DGGE analysis, and whole genome shotgun (WGS) sequencing to analyse community dynamics of bacteria and fungi. The microbial communities vary concerning additives used with green waste composting and during the phases of composting. This mini-review summarises the techniques used for genomics study during the composting of green waste. It involves a type of substrate, the DNA extraction kit used, the region selected for the sequencing, and the primer selection. Microbial community dynamics during different phases of green waste composting are also discussed in this review.