A metagenomic investigation of spatial and temporal changes in sewage microbiomes across a university campus

• DOI: 10.1101/2022.07.13.499996
• Publication Date: 2022-07-14T15:35:11Z
• Authors: Noah Fierer; Hannah Holland-Mo...; Alexandra Alexiev; Harpreet Batther; Nicholas B. Dragone; Liam Friar; Matthew J. Gebert; Sarah Gering; Jessica B. Henley; Sierra Jech; Emily M. Kibby; Tina Melie; William B. Patterson; Eric Peterson; Kyle Schutz; Elías Stallard-Ol...; John Sterrett; Corinne Walsh; Cresten Mansfeldt
• Keywords: Variation (astronomy)

Abstract Wastewater microbial communities are not static and can vary significantly across time space, but this variation the factors driving observed spatiotemporal often remain undetermined. We used a shotgun metagenomic approach to investigate changes in wastewater 17 locations sewer network, with samples collected from each location over 3-week period. Fecal-derived bacteria constituted relatively small fraction of taxa found samples, highlighting importance environmental sources sewage microbiome. The prokaryotic were highly variable composition depending on within sampling network spatial was most strongly associated location-specific differences pH. However, we also substantial temporal at individual locations. This asynchronous locations, emphasizing independently considering both when assessing patterns viral community closely tracked those communities, allowing us putatively identify bacterial hosts some dominant viruses these systems. Finally, that antibiotic resistance gene profiles exhibit high degree variability genes unlikely be derived fecal bacteria. Together results emphasize dynamic nature microbiome, challenges studying systems, utility approaches for building multi-faceted understanding their functional attributes. Importance Sewage systems harbor extensive diversity, including microbes human sources. Studies microbiome useful monitoring public health our infrastructure, ways unresolved. sequenced DNA recovered period single system determine how space. Most bacteria, they harbor, feces, usage did impact amounts types varied time. Likewise, viruses, challenges, opportunities, efforts monitor understand