Shotgun metagenomic investigation of microbial dynamics during coffee fermentation with backslopping and yeast inoculation

This project investigates microbial community dynamics and functional potential during controlled coffee fermentation using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Fermentation experiments were conducted under farm-scale conditions using Coffea arabica cherries and included spontaneous fermentation as well as fermentations inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia fermentans. Two fermentation cycles were evaluated to assess the impact of backslopping, a process in which liquid from a previous fermentation is reused to initiate a new batch. Samples were collected at the beginning and end of fermentation to characterize microbial succession, functional gene profiles, and metabolic potential.