Facility-Specific “House” Microbiome Drives Microbial Landscapes of Artisan Cheesemaking Plants
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Date
2013-09Type
- Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
no
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Abstract
Cheese fermentations involve the growth of complex microbial consortia, which often originate in the processing environment and drive the development of regional product qualities. However, the microbial milieus of cheesemaking facilities are largely unexplored and the true nature of the fermentation-facility relationship remains nebulous. Thus, a highthroughput sequencing approach was employed to investigate the microbial ecosystems of two artisanal cheesemaking plants, with the goal of elucidating how the processing environment influences microbial community assemblages. Results demonstrate that fermentation-associated microbes dominated most surfaces, primarily Debaryomyces and Lactococcus, indicating that establishment of these organisms on processing surfaces may play an important role in microbial transfer, beneficially directing the course of sequential fermentations. Environmental organisms detected in processing environments dominated the surface microbiota of washed-rind cheeses maturing in both facilities, demonstrating the importance of the processing environment for populating cheese microbial communities, even in inoculated cheeses. Spatial diversification within both facilities reflects the functional adaptations of microbial communities inhabiting different surfaces and the existence of facility-specific "house" microbiota, which may play a role in shaping site-specific product characteristics. © 2013 American Society for Microbiology. Show more
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publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Applied and Environmental MicrobiologyVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
American Society for MicrobiologyOrganisational unit
09714 - Bokulich, Nicholas / Bokulich, Nicholas
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ETH Bibliography
no
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