Qatar barchan dunes 16S and metagenomics. sand metagenome

This study aimed to survey the microbial ecology of microorganisms found in barchan sand dunes in Qatar. Barchan sand dunes are highly mobile, and as a result threaten stationary human population centers in arid regions. Bacteria-dominated biological soil crusts play a role in demobilizing dunes in many arid regions. Although biological soil crusts are not present on these dunes, a bacterial community is present within the dunes. To better understand the microbial populations within these dunes, we undertook 16S deep-sequencing of DNA extracts from sand samples from the crest, middle, and base of the windward faces of mobile barchan sand dunes near Doha, Qatar. Soil samples from beneath several dunes were also deep-sequenced. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing of two dunes was also conducted.