Succession of Molecular Ecological Network During Fermentation Drying of Food Waste

Biological fermentation drying is an eco-friendly method for food waste treatment. It reduces waste mass and volume effectively. Microbial interactions drive drying efficiency. Yet these interactions remain unclear. Here we show that the inoculation of thermophilic strain and enrichment improved drying efficiency by 24.58% to 30.09%. The temperature comprehensive index and crude fat degradation rate in food waste were increased. The total nitrogen content was reduced by inoculation of thermophiles. The bacterial community was primarily composed of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes, with increased abundances of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Cyanobacteria. The fungal community included Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Glomeromycota, and Chytridiomycota. Thermophilic Bacillus inoculation enhanced bacterial diversity, stabilized the fungal network, and influenced the dominant species in the bacterial-fungal cross-domain network at different stages of bio-drying. Environmental factors such as moisture content and conductivity significantly affected the size and complexity of the network. The study highlights the potential benefits of microbial inoculation and underscores the importance of understanding microbial dynamics and environmental factors in this process.