Matters Microbial #66: Digesting the Science of Fermented Foods

November 20, 2024

Today, Dr. Ben Wolfe, Associate Professor of Biology at Tufts University, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how he and his collaborators study novel food fermentations, helping the public understand more about the gut microbiome, and outreach projects involving microbially-associated food.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Benjamin Wolfe

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Links for this episode

• An overview for beginning Micronauts on microbial fermentation.
• A more advanced overview of microbial fermentation.
• A book and website that I highly recommend by Sandor Katz on the subject, including many recipes and background information.
• The bacterially derived volatile chemical geosmin.
• An article describing the relationship between geosmin and springtails.
• An article about leaf cutter ants and how they farm fungi!  I hope to do an entire podcast on this topic soon.
• An article of Dr. Wolfe and colleague’s work showing a relationship between fungal antibiotics and cheese microbiome development. 
• Dr. Rob Dunn’s “Belly Button Microbiome” project, a community science effort.
• An overview of the community science effort to explore sourdough bread microbiology.
• An overview of cheese microbiology.
• A description of cheesemaking and cheese caves. 
• A cheesemaker with which Dr. Wolfe has worked.
• A link to a remarkable article by Dr. Wolfe’s research group that we discussed in this episode:  “Novel Fermentations Integrate Traditional Practic and Rational Design of Fermented-Food Microbiomes.”
• A video of a presentation by Dr. Wolfe on cheese microbiology.
• Dr. Wolfe’s faculty website at Tufts University.
• A website by Dr. Wolfe and coworkers promoting microbial literacy via understanding the positive relationship between food and microbes.
• The website of Dr. Wolfe’s research group.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com