Microbial Community Analysis During Composting of Digested Sludge and Sawdust by Using Quinone Profile and Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

Microbial community structure during the composting of digested sewage sludge and sawdust was analyzed by a combination of quinone profile and polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The change in total quinine content (TQ) indicated that microbial biomass reached a peak followed by a decrease, whereas the divergence of quinine (DQ) showed that the microbial community diversity increased continuously during the composting process. The PCR-DGGE clarified community changes at species level and the differences in the microbial communities were also determined. The combination of culture-independent methods revealed the community enough to evaluate the composting process.