Supporting data and materials for "Deeply sequenced metagenome and metatranscriptome of a biogas-producing microbial community from an agricultural production-scale biogas plant".

The production of biogas takes place under anaerobic conditions and involves microbial decomposition of organic matter. Most of the participating microbes still have to be considered as unknown and non-cultivable. Accordingly, metagenome sequencing currently is the method of choice to obtain insights into community composition and the genetic repertoire.<br>Here, we report the first deeply sequenced metagenome and metatranscriptome of a complex biogas-producing microbial community from an agricultural production-scale biogas plant. We assembled the metagenome and reconstructed most genes involved in the methane metabolism, a key pathway involving methanogenesis performed by methanogenic Archaea. This exemplary result indicates sufficient sequencing coverage for most downstream analyses. <br>Sequenced at least one order of magnitude deeper than previous studies, our metagenome data will enable novel insights into community composition and the genetic potential of important community members. Moreover, mapping of transcripts to reconstructed genome sequences will enable the identification of active metabolic pathways in target organisms.

沼气的生成过程在厌氧（anaerobic）条件下进行，依赖微生物对有机质的降解作用。目前，绝大多数参与该过程的微生物仍属于未被认知、无法纯培养的类群。因此，当前宏基因组（metagenome）测序是解析群落组成与遗传功能全集的首选方法。
本研究首次对来自农业生产规模沼气厂的复杂产沼气微生物群落开展深度宏基因组与宏转录组（metatranscriptome）测序。我们完成了该宏基因组的组装，并重构了甲烷代谢通路中的绝大多数核心基因——该关键通路由产甲烷古菌（methanogenic Archaea）介导的产甲烷（methanogenesis）过程构成。这一示范性研究结果表明，本研究的测序覆盖度足以支撑绝大多数下游分析工作。
本研究的宏基因组测序深度较以往同类研究至少高出一个数量级，其数据将为解析群落组成以及重要群落成员的遗传潜能带来全新的研究视角。此外，将转录本比对至重构的基因组序列，将能够实现对目标生物体活性代谢通路的精准鉴定。