Metagenomic exploration of microbial genomes and functional genes from Sof Umer Cave, Ethiopia

Sof Umer Cave is the first largest cave in East Africa, located in Bale Zone, Ethiopia. It is a unique and unexplored extreme environment that harbors novel microbes and potential sources of genes. In this study, high-throughput shotgun sequencing was applied to explore microbial genomes and model functional genes associated with the surface of Sof Umer Cave. High molecular weights of DNA were extracted from the samples using the GeneAll DNA Soil Mini Kit, and purified eDNA was sequenced using NovaSeq PE150.