{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T12:06:08Z","timestamp":1790251568241,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790208000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Microbiomes"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    The spontaneous aerobic degradation of oolong tea waste offers a promising but underexplored route for sustainable waste valorization. In this study, we used whole-genome metagenomic sequencing to examine microbial succession and functional gene dynamics over a 35-day degradation period. Our results uncovered a three-phase ecological progression: an initial mesophilic phase (Days 0\u20137) dominated by Pseudomonadota, which reached 93.4% relative abundance and specialized in simple substrate utilization; a thermotolerant transition (Days 8-15, 30-33\u00b0C) characterized by increased abundance of glycoside hydrolases (GH5, GH13); and a maturation phase (Days 16\u201335) marked by the emergence of lignocellulose-degrading taxa such as\n                    <jats:italic>Cellulomonas<\/jats:italic>\n                    and\n                    <jats:italic>Microbacterium<\/jats:italic>\n                    , accompanied by a 78% reduction in antibiotic resistance genes. Profiling of carbohydrate-active enzymes revealed a sequential shift from pectinases (GH28) to hemicellulases (GH43), while mobile genetic elements declined substantially during the maturation phase. These results indicate that tea waste degradation follows structured microbial succession patterns influenced by abiotic factors and suggests a potential self-purification capacity through the attenuation of antibiotic resistance genes. This study establishes a foundation for optimizing composting processes and designing targeted bioaugmentation strategies to enhance tea waste valorization.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/frmbi.2026.1871476","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T11:24:19Z","timestamp":1790249059000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Structured succession of a cross-kingdom microbiome drives degradation and detoxification of\u00a0oolong tea waste"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"5","author":[{"given":"Guanming","family":"Ye","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong","place":["Pokfulam, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaoqing","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong","place":["Pokfulam, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marsena Jasiel","family":"Ismaiah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong","place":["Pokfulam, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ren","family":"Ke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong","place":["Pokfulam, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ziheng","family":"Zeng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong","place":["Pokfulam, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiarui","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong","place":["Pokfulam, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shuning","family":"Lan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong","place":["Pokfulam, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Han","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biotechnology and Food Engineering Program; Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology","place":["Shantou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huiyu","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biotechnology and Food Engineering Program; Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology","place":["Shantou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shanyu","family":"Xie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biotechnology and Food Engineering Program; Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology","place":["Shantou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kin Sum","family":"Leung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong","place":["Pokfulam, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lu","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong","place":["Pokfulam, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jetty Chung-Yung","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong","place":["Pokfulam, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Olivier","family":"Habimana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biotechnology and Food Engineering Program; Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology","place":["Shantou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12864-021-07957-9","article-title":"Genome-resolved metagenome and metatranscriptome analyses of thermophilic composting reveal key bacterial players and their metabolic interactions","volume":"22","author":"Braga","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Genomics"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3112","DOI":"10.1002\/fsn3.4011","article-title":"Valorization of tea waste: Composition, bioactivity, extraction methods, and utilization","volume":"12","author":"\u00c7akmak","year":"2024","journal-title":"Food. Sci. Nutr."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"39570","DOI":"10.1021\/acsomega.3c05442","article-title":"Effect of thermophilic microbial agents on crude fiber content, carbohydrate-active enzyme genes, and microbial communities during Chinese medicine residue composting","volume":"8","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"ACS Omega"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2495","DOI":"10.1007\/s10123-025-00703-1","article-title":"Isolation and characterization of multi-drug-resistant Microbacterium esteraromaticum bacteriophage: Assessment of antibacterial efficacy and genomic insights","volume":"28","author":"Cheng","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. Microbiol"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jece.2021.106179","article-title":"Potential and sustainable utilization of tea waste: A review on present status and future trends","volume":"9","author":"Debnath","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Environ. Chem. Eng."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1080\/07388551.2022.2157701","article-title":"Sustainable management of tea wastes: Resource recovery and conversion techniques","volume":"44","author":"Duarah","year":"2023","journal-title":"Crit. Rev. Biotechnol."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1631\/jzus.b1600044","article-title":"Tea polyphenols dominate the short-term tea (Camellia sinensis) leaf litter decomposition","volume":"18","author":"Fan","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Zhejiang University-Science B."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0186051","article-title":"Fungal and bacterial successions in the process of co-composting of organic wastes as revealed by 454 pyrosequencing","volume":"12","author":"Galitskaya","year":"2017","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.watres.2025.123463","article-title":"Underrated risk of antibiotic resistance genes dissemination mediated by bioaerosols released from anaerobic biological wastewater treatment system","volume":"279","author":"Han","year":"2025","journal-title":"Water Res."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2023.132345","article-title":"Enhanced biodegradation of endocrine disruptor bisphenol A by food waste composting without bioaugmentation: Analysis of bacterial communities and their relative abundances","volume":"460","author":"Hussain","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Hazard. Mater."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.1016\/s0960-8524(02)00153-0","article-title":"The influence of temperature and moisture contents regimes on the aerobic microbial activity of a biosolids composting blend","volume":"86","author":"Liang","year":"2003","journal-title":"Bioresour. Technol."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109742","article-title":"Microbial enrichment evaluation during the fermentation of ensiling pruned branches from tea plants","volume":"374","author":"Lin","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Food Microbiol."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"950","DOI":"10.1111\/1751-7915.12290","article-title":"Metaproteomics reveals major microbial players and their biodegradation functions in a large\u2010scale aerobic composting plant","volume":"8","author":"Liu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Microb. Biotechnol."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/app7020166","article-title":"Microbial succession and the dynamics of chemical compounds during the solid-state fermentation of Pu-erh tea","volume":"7","author":"Ma","year":"2017","journal-title":"Appl. Sci."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"495","DOI":"10.1111\/1574-6941.12077","article-title":"Differences between aerobic and anaerobic degradation of microphytobenthic biofilm-derived organic matter within intertidal sediments","volume":"84","author":"McKew","year":"2013","journal-title":"FEMS Microbiol. Ecol."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6685","DOI":"10.1007\/s10853-024-09577-6","article-title":"Potential of bacterial cellulose for sustainable fashion and textile applications: A review","volume":"59","author":"Nayak","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Mater. Sci."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"833","DOI":"10.1038\/nbt.3935","article-title":"Shotgun metagenomics, from sampling to analysis","volume":"35","author":"Quince","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. Biotechnol."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"286","DOI":"10.1080\/1065657x.2002.10702093","article-title":"Moisture relationships in composting processes","volume":"10","author":"Richard","year":"2002","journal-title":"Compost. Sci. Util."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ele.14415","article-title":"Reading tea leaves worldwide: Decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition mass\u2010loss rate and stabilization","volume":"27","author":"Sarneel","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ecol. Lett."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7449","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-023-30848-3","article-title":"Sustainable environmental practices of tea waste\u2014a comprehensive review","volume":"32","author":"Seth","year":"2023","journal-title":"Environ. Sci. pollut. Res."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2024.125156","article-title":"Lignocellulose degradation and temperature adaptation mechanisms during composting of mushroom residue and wood chips at low temperature with inoculation of psychrotolerant microbial agent","volume":"363","author":"Tian","year":"2024","journal-title":"Environ. pollut."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/srep17163","article-title":"The coffee-machine bacteriome: Biodiversity and colonisation of the wasted coffee tray leach","volume":"5","author":"Vilanova","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2021.705681","article-title":"Comparative metagenomics reveals microbial communities and their associated functions in two types of Fuzhuan brick tea","volume":"12","author":"Wang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Microbiol."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-323-85683-6.00005-3","article-title":"Enzymes in ready-to-drink tea and coffee products","volume-title":"Value-Addition in Beverages Through Enzyme Technology","author":"Wang","year":"2023"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biortech.2024.130307","article-title":"Continuous thermophilic composting of distilled grain waste improved organic matter stability and succession of bacterial community","volume":"394","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Bioresour. Technol."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109937","article-title":"Microbial community succession in the fermentation of Qingzhuan tea at various temperatures and their correlations with the quality formation","volume":"382","author":"Wu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Food Microbiol."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2023.167754","article-title":"Enhanced humus synthesis from Chinese medicine residues composting by lignocellulose-degrading bacteria stimulation: Upregulation of key enzyme activity and neglected indirect effects on humus formation","volume":"907","author":"Xing","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.watres.2024.121958","article-title":"Combined environmental pressure induces unique assembly patterns of micro-plastisphere biofilm microbial communities in constructed wetlands","volume":"260","author":"Yan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Water Res."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"734","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psep.2023.06.049","article-title":"Temporal succession and spatial heterogeneity of humification, pathogens and bacterial community in facultative heap composting","volume":"176","author":"Yang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Process. Saf. Environ. Prot."},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"793","DOI":"10.1007\/s10532-007-9108-8","article-title":"Microbial community succession and lignocellulose degradation during agricultural waste composting","volume":"18","author":"Yu","year":"2007","journal-title":"Biodegradation"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-022-09789-3","article-title":"Indigenous cellulolytic aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacterial community enhanced the composting of rice straw and chicken manure with biochar addition","volume":"12","author":"Zainudin","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"376","DOI":"10.1002\/elsc.202100102","article-title":"Study on dynamic changes of microbial community and lignocellulose transformation mechanism during green waste composting","volume":"22","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eng. Life Sci."},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lwt.2022.113835","article-title":"Quantitative microbiome analysis reveals the microbial community assembly along with its correlation with the flavor substances during the manufacturing process of Qingzhuan brick tea at an industrial scale","volume":"167","author":"Zhao","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lwt"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Microbiomes"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/frmbi.2026.1871476\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T11:24:22Z","timestamp":1790249062000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/frmbi.2026.1871476\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]]},"references-count":33,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/frmbi.2026.1871476"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/frmbi.2026.1871476","relation":{},"ISSN":["2813-4338"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2813-4338","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]]},"article-number":"1871476"}}