{"id":12430,"date":"2024-12-18T23:09:13","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T23:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=12430"},"modified":"2024-12-18T23:09:16","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T23:09:16","slug":"ancient-bacterial-domestication-in-swiss-cheeses-unveiled-by-unil-researchers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/ancient-bacterial-domestication-in-swiss-cheeses-unveiled-by-unil-researchers\/","title":{"rendered":"Ancient Bacterial Domestication in Swiss Cheeses Unveiled by UNIL Researchers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">UNIL researchers have uncovered ancient signs of bacterial domestication in Swiss cheeses, enhancing our understanding of microbiology and its impact on food preservation and sustainability.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) have uncovered evidence of ancient bacterial domestication in the production of traditional Swiss cheeses like Gruy\u00e8re, Emmental and Sbrinz. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This pioneering research, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-024-52687-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in Nature Communications, offers a fresh perspective on how human societies have harnessed microbes to improve food preservation and safety for millennia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Historical Parallel to Plant and Animal Domestication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The domestication of plants and animals is well-documented, marking a pivotal era in human history as populations transitioned from hunter-gatherer societies to settled agricultural communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the domestication of microbes, particularly bacteria, has remained largely elusive due to their microscopic size and the absence of a fossil record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While previous studies have shed light on the domestication of yeasts, a team led by Vincent Somerville, a former doctoral student in Philipp Engel&#8217;s team, and co-directed by Philipp Engel, an associate professor at UNIL&#8217;s Department of Fundamental Microbiology, and Florent Mazel, a senior scientist in the Engel lab, aimed to explore the domestication of bacteria involved in cheese production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their efforts culminated in the revelation that the bacteria used in classic Swiss cheese recipes exhibit signs of domestication akin to those seen in livestock and crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unveiling the Ancient Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Domestication typically involves selectively breeding species over generations to enhance desirable traits, such as increased nutritional quality or docility. Engaging in such practices with microbes has profound implications, especially in food preservation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This is the case with fermentation, which converts sugars into acids, protects against the proliferation of undesirable microbes and therefore enables food to be preserved for longer,&#8221; Engel said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unil.ch\/news\/1733997864609\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fermentation, a technique with roots tracing back to the Neolithic period around 10,000 years ago, leverages microorganisms like yeast for brewing beer and wine and bacteria for making cheese. Recognizing the ancient origins of microbial fermentation offers vital context to Engel&#8217;s assertion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Swiss Cheeses at the Forefront<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In collaboration with Agroscope, Switzerland&#8217;s center for agronomic and food research, the Lausanne team delved into a 50-year-old collection of bacterial strains used in Gruy\u00e8re, Emmental and Sbrinz cheese production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;These cultures, also called &#8216;cheese starter cultures,&#8217; were partially reactivated to create some sort of laboratory mini cheeses,&#8221; Somerville said in the news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers analyzed the genetic and phenotypic attributes of over 100 bacterial isolates and nearly 1,000 samples, uncovering low genetic diversity and high trait stability over the examined period. These findings pointed towards an ancient adaptation process,.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The temporal concordance between the dating of the micro-organisms and the archaeological history of this fermented food was quite unexpected,&#8221; added Mazel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Implications and Future Directions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The implications of this study extend far beyond Swiss cheeses. Future research may compare cheeses from various global regions or investigate the bacterial communities used in other fermented products like kefir. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;A better understanding of bacterial domestication will enable us to optimize the characteristics of these microbiota, improve the use of this process and make it a more sustainable method of food storage,&#8221; Mazel added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) have uncovered evidence of ancient bacterial domestication in the production of traditional Swiss cheeses like Gruy\u00e8re, Emmental and Sbrinz. This pioneering research, published in Nature Communications, offers a fresh perspective on how human societies have harnessed microbes to improve food preservation and safety for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-people-culture"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) have uncovered evidence of ancient bacterial domestication in the production of traditional Swiss cheeses like Gruy\u00e8re, Emmental and Sbrinz. This pioneering research, published in Nature Communications, offers a fresh perspective on how human societies have harnessed microbes to improve food preservation and safety for&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12430"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12430\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12683,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12430\/revisions\/12683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}