Design of an autochthonous starter culture using strains isolated from traditional Matsoni.

Artisanal products support the conservation of the indigenous biodiversity of food microbiomes, although they do not always comply to quality and hygienic requirements for the dairy industry. This study describes the development of an autochthonous starter culture to produce Matsoni, a traditional Georgian fermented milk. To this end, strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from artisanal Matsoni samples were used to design a starter formulation reproducing the dominant microbial diversity, also preserving quality characteristics and ensuring the safety of the product.

Authoritative subspecies diagnosis tool for European honey bees based on ancestry informative SNPs.

Background: With numerous endemic subspecies representing four of its five evolutionary lineages, Europe holds a large fraction of Apis mellifera genetic diversity. This diversity and the natural distribution range have been altered by anthropogenic factors. The conservation of this natural heritage relies on the availability of accurate tools for subspecies diagnosis.

Application of Phages: Challenges and Perspectives.

Bacteriophages (phages) are the most abundant and diverse biological entities in the biosphere. Due to the rise of multi-drug resistant bacterial strains during the past decade, phages are currently experiencing a renewed interest. Bacteriophages and their derivatives are being actively researched for their potential in the medical and biotechnology fields.

Beneficial Protective Role of Endogenous Lactic Acid Bacteria Against Mycotic Contamination of Honeybee Beebread.

The purpose of this article is to reveal the role of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the beebread transformation/preservation, biochemical properties of 25 honeybee endogenous LAB strains, particularly: antifungal, proteolytic, and amylolytic activities putatively expressed in the beebread environment have been studied. Seventeen fungal strains isolated from beebread samples were identified and checked for their ability to grow on simulated beebread substrate (SBS) and then used to study mycotic propagation in the presence of LAB. Fungal strains identified as Aspergillus niger (Po1), Candida sp.

Specific Immune Stimulation by Endogenous Bacteria in Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Honey bees are highly important pollinators in agroecosystems, but they are currently under growing environmental pressures (e.g., from pesticides, poor nutrition, and parasites).