発酵食品を活用し微生物学の公開研究を推進(How Chefs and Scientists Are Using Kombucha and Kimchi to Study Microbiology)

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2025-08-19 ノースカロライナ州立大学(NCState)

ノースカロライナ州立大学の研究チームは、キムチやコンブチャなど発酵食品を題材に、市民参加型で微生物研究を行う手法を実証した。シェフと科学者が博物館でワークショップを開き、教師や一般市民に発酵食品の作成とサンプル採取を指導。集めた試料をDNA解析し、キムチではキャベツと大根で微生物群集が異なること、コンブチャでは緑茶と紅茶の違いによる顕著な差は見られないことが確認された。結果は従来研究と一致し、市民参加型でも科学的に信頼できる知見が得られることを裏付けた。この手法は低コストで拡張性が高く、科学教育と研究の両面で活用可能性があると評価されている。

発酵食品を活用し微生物学の公開研究を推進(How Chefs and Scientists Are Using Kombucha and Kimchi to Study Microbiology)
Photo credit: Lauren Nichols.

<関連情報>

共同創造的な科学と関与の文脈としての調理クラス形式の発酵 Cooking-class style fermentation as a context for co-created science and engagement

Hanna L. Berman, Erin A. McKenney, Christina E. Roche, Sarah Michalski, Soo Hee Kwon, Elizabeth Weichel, Amanda Matson, Lauren M. Nichols, Samuel Alvarado, Julie E. Horvath, Robert R. Dunn
Microbiology Spectrum  Published:15 August 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.02660-24

ABSTRACT

Fermented foods have been consumed for thousands of years and have been used as a model system to study community succession and other ecological questions. Additionally, cooking classes offer opportunities to learn about food preparation and history. In the present study, scientists and chefs delivered cooking-class style workshops in which participants learned the recipes of one of three fermented foods and the microbial ecology within these foods. Participants prepared jars of chow chow, kimchi, or kombucha to set up experiments to study microbial community succession and pH changes. The fermented foods were also used to test the following hypotheses: that increasing the number of substrates results in increased alpha diversity, and that phylogenetically diverse substrates will lead to greater beta diversity among microbial communities. Microbial communities contained lactic and acetic acid bacteria described previously in fermented foods, and indicator species were identified for cabbage and radish substrates in kimchi. Finally, we qualitatively comment on the experience of developing workshops with chefs and the use of participatory science in these experiments.

生物工学一般
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