16S rRNA gene analysis of bacteria present on wooden boards used for cheese ripening

Wooden boards are commonly used for aging artisan cheeses. Although considered critical to the development of desired flavors and aromas, we have limited knowledge of the microbial communities attached to these boards. We performed paired-end amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene V4 region on an Illumina MiSeq to evaluate bacteria present on the surface, and embedded within, five wooden boards used for cheese ripening.