Spatial and functional differentiation of microbial biofilms in a traditional cheese ripening environment.

ABSTRACT: Biofilms in historic buildings represent stable microbial ecosystems shaped by long-term environmental filtering. We investigated bacterial and fungal communities forming biofilms on walls and ceilings in a 19th-century cheese ripening cellar in Poland, characterized by low temperature, high humidity, and minimal light - conditions resembling natural subterranean habitats. Using high-throughput 16 S rRNA and ITS sequencing, we revealed distinct taxonomic and predicted functional profiles associated with surface type (wall vs. ceiling) and material (brick vs. stone). The wall biofilms exhibited greater taxonomic and functional diversity, with enrichment in heterotrophic, fermentative, and polymer-degrading taxa and pathways, whereas ceiling biofilms showed predicted enrichment in aerobic, s

SUBMITTER: Goraj W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12753809 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature