DAIRYdb: a manually curated reference database for improved taxonomy annotation of 16S rRNA gene sequences from dairy products

Natural creaming significantly modulates the metabolomic profile and bacterial community of raw milk: A case study on organic milk for Parmigiano Reggiano PDO

This study analyzed raw milk's microbial community and chemical profile during the natural creaming process of Parmigiano Reggiano production by comparing milk from farms following two different organic certifications. Specifically, the natural creaming process underlined the positive accumulation of potentially pro-dairy bacteria, particularly those of the genera Lactococcus and Streptococcus, and a significant reduction of negative bacterial genera, such as Acinetobacter and Rothia, in the final mix milk. Meanwhile, untargeted metabolomic analysis confirmed the representativeness of lipids and lipid-derivatives as chemical markers involved in the overnight creaming process, with fatty acid esters and long fatty acids enriched in the evening samples. Finally, by using a multi-omics approach, we integrated microbial and metabolomic datasets and identified correlations between specific microbial populations and metabolite changes. This integrative analysis revealed microbial-metabolite interactions that may be a starting point to better understand the pivotal role exerted by milk creaming on the final cheese quality.

Analytical Mapping of Swiss Hard Cheese to Highlight the Distribution of Volatile Compounds, Aroma, and Microbiota

Cheese is one of the most consumed fermented animal-based products globally, rendering its quality assessment and evaluation of substantial economic interest. Understanding the degree of cheese homogeneity is paramount for designing effective sampling strategies, yet this information is largely lacking. This study investigates the homogeneity of a cheese wheel based on the distribution of volatile compounds, microbiota, sodium chloride content, and pH, combined with sensory analyses. The outer zones of the cheese wheel were primarily characterized by the presence of sulfur compounds, esters, pyrazines, ketones, Streptococcus thermophilus, high sodium chloride concentration and high pH. In contrast, the inner zones of the cheese wheel were dominated by lactones, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei. The presence of alcohols and Lactobacillus helveticus was observed throughout the cheese wheel. Furthermore, sensory descriptions were found to match predominantly with the aroma of the volatile compounds identified. The cheese wheel was found to be heterogeneous in all investigated characteristics. Our results indicate that the level of cheese homogeneity should be considered when designing sampling strategies, as these significantly impact the accuracy and reproducibility of analytical outcomes.

BIOFILM DAIRY FOODS REVIEW: Microbial Community Tracking from Dairy Farm to Factory: Insights on Biofilm Management for Enhanced Food Safety and Quality

This review aimed to assess the scope of the literature on tracking the microbial community of biofilms, focusing on the dairy farm and processing environments. The majority of studies focused on either production, storage, transport or processing of milk, while 5 combined the investigation of both production and processing facilities. Factors influencing short-term changes in dairy microbiota such as the occurrence of mastitis and season were distinguished from factors revealed through long-term studies, such as feed and weather, rather than the milking equipment. Knowledge gaps were identified in relation to the study design, methods, data analysis and interpretation. The application of DNA sequencing technologies is particularly challenging with respect to samples with low microbial load (milk, swabs). There are few studies on the microbial composition of in situ biofilms, which might require new technologies for detection before sampling. Fundamental studies on the structure of biofilms are needed to identify the on-farm practices impacting the cycle of biofilm development in milking systems.

Antilisterial Properties of Selected Strains from the Autochthonous Microbiota of a Swiss Artisan Soft Smear Cheese

High incidences of the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes have been reported on smear cheeses, and despite increased hygiene efforts, this incidence has remained stable in recent years. Applying antilisterial strains may increase the safety of smear cheeses. To find and test antilisterial strains, we inoculated fresh soft cheeses from nine dairies with the surrogate species Listeria innocua and assessed its growth under standardized ripening conditions. Acetic acid at day 23 (r = -0.66), lactose in fresh cheese (r = -0.63), and glucose at day 10 (r = -0.62), as well as seven amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), were negatively correlated with L. innocua growth. Two of these ASVs were assigned to the genus Leuconostoc of Lactobacillaceae (r = -0.82 and -0.71). Isolates from this family, from Aerococcaceae, and Carnobacteriaceae were characterized according to their inhibitory properties, and those showing antilisterial properties were applied as protective cultures in challenge tests. The combined application of strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Aerococcaceae, and Carnobacteriaceae successfully eliminated low levels of L. innocua in the final products. This is likely explained by antimicrobial compounds, including mesentericin Y105 and acetate, and competition for carbon sources and iron. This study shows a promising way to improve the safety of soft smear cheeses by applying defined protective cultures.

Microbial composition and viability of natural whey starters used in PDO Comté cheese-making

Natural whey starters (NWS) are cultures with undefined multiple-strains species commonly used to speed up the fermentation process of cheeses. The aim of this study was to explore the diversity and the viability of Comté cheese NWS microbiota. Culture-dependent methods, i.e. plate counting and genotypic characterization, and culture-independent methods, i.e. qPCR, viability-qPCR, fluorescence microscopy and DNA metabarcoding, were combined to analyze thirty-six NWS collected in six Comté cheese factories at two seasons. Our results highlighted that NWS were dominated by Streptococcus thermophilus (ST) and thermophilic lactobacilli. These species showed a diversity of strains based on Rep-PCR. The dominance of Lactobacillus helveticus (LH) over Lactobacillus delbrueckii (LD) varied depending on the factory and the season. This highlighted two types of NWS: the type-ST/LD (LD > LH) and the type-ST/LH (LD < LH). The microbial composition varied depending on cheese factory. One factory was distinguished by its level of culturable microbial groups (ST, enterococci and yeast) and its fungi diversity. The approaches used to estimate the viability showed that most NWS cells were viable. Further investigations are needed to understand the microbial diversity of these NWS.

The impact of environmental conditions and milk type on microbial communities of wooden vats and cheeses produced therein

Wooden vats are used in the production of some traditional cheeses as the biofilms on wooden vat surfaces are known to transfer large quantities of microbes to cheese. Variability in microbial communities on wooden vats could lead to inconsistent cheese production. In the present study, the influences of environmental conditions and milk type (raw or heat-treated) on the microbial composition of vat biofilms and cheeses made in the vats were studied using amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal internal transcribed spacer genes. Results showed that the microbial composition of biofilms was influenced by environmental conditions but not the milk type used in cheese production. The microbial composition of cheeses can be further affected by bacterial contributions from milk and the selective forces of environmental conditions. Results of this study suggest that controlling environmental conditions could maintain a more consistent microbial composition of biofilms on wooden vats and resulting cheeses. The use of wooden vats coupled with heat-treated milk at one or more stages of cheese production might be a viable approach to produce cheese with high microbial diversities and reduce risks of undesirable microbes related to food safety and quality.

Microbial Dynamics during labneh Ambaris Production in Earthenware Jars

The responses of various microbial populations to modifications in the physicochemical properties of a food matrix, as well as interactions between these populations already present, are the main factors that shape microbial dynamics in that matrix. This work focused on the study of microbial dynamics during labneh Ambaris production, a traditional Lebanese concentrated fermented goat milk made in jars during 3 months. This was assessed in two earthenware jars at a production facility. DNA metabarcoding of the ITS2 region as well as the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was used to characterize the fungal and bacterial communities, respectively. Viable bacterial isolates were also identified by Sanger sequencing of the V1-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Our results showed that the dominant microorganisms identified within labneh Ambaris (Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, Lentilactobacillus kefiri, Lactococcus lactis, Geotrichum candidum, Pichia kudriavzevii and Starmerella sp.) settle early in the product and remain until the end of maturation with varying abundances throughout fermentation. Microbial counts increased during early fermentation stage, and remained stable during mid-fermentation, then declined during maturation. While microbial compositions were globally comparable between the two jars during mid-fermentation and maturation stages, differences between the two jars were mainly detected during early fermentation stage (D0 until D10). No significant sensorial differences were observed between the final products made in the two jars. Neither coliforms nor Enterobacteriaceae were detected in their viable state, starting D7 in both jars, suggesting the antimicrobial properties of the product.

Selective enrichment of the raw milk microbiota in cheese production: Concept of a natural adjunct milk culture

In cheese production, microorganisms are usually added at the beginning of the process as primary starters to drive curd acidification, while secondary microorganisms, with other pro-technological features important for cheese ripening, are added as selected cultures. This research aimed to investigate the possibilities of influencing and selecting the raw milk microbiota using artisanal traditional methods, providing a simple method to produce a natural supplementary culture. We investigated the production of an enriched raw milk whey culture (eRWC), a natural adjunct microbial culture produced from mixing an enriched raw milk (eRM) with a natural whey culture (NWC). The raw milk was enriched by spontaneous fermentation for 21 d at 10°C. Three milk enrichment protocols were tested: heat treatment before incubation, heat treatment plus salt addition, and no treatment. The eRMs were then co-fermented with NWC (ratio of 1:10) at 38°C for 6 h (young eRWC) and 22 h (old eRWC). Microbial diversity during cultures' preparation was evaluated through the determination of colony forming units on selective growth media, and next-generation sequencing (16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing). The enrichment step increased the streptococci and lactobacilli but reduced microbial richness and diversity of the eRMs. Although the lactic acid bacteria viable count was not significantly different between the eRWCs, they harbored higher microbial richness and diversity than NWC. Natural adjunct cultures were then tested in cheese making trials, following the microbial development, and assessing the chemical quality of the 120 d ripened cheeses. The use of eRWCs slowed the curd acidification in the first hours of cheese making but the pH 24 h after production settled to equal values for all the cheeses. Although the use of diverse eRWCs contributed to having a richer and more diverse microbiota in the early stages of cheese making, their effect decreased over time during ripening, showing an inferior effect to the raw milk microbiota. Even if more research is needed, the optimization of such a tool could be an alternative to the practice of isolating, geno-pheno-typing, and formulating mixed-defined-strain adjunct cultures that require knowledge and facilities not always available for artisanal cheese makers.

Metataxonomic insights in the distribution of Lactobacillaceae in foods and food environments

Members of the family Lactobacillaceae, which now includes species formerly belonging to the genera Lactobacillus and Pediococcus, but also Leuconostocaceae, are of foremost importance in food fermentations and spoilage, but also as components of animal and human microbiota and as potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Knowledge of the ecological distribution of a given species and genus is important, among other things, for the inclusion in lists of microorganisms with a Qualified Presumption of Safety or with beneficial use. The objective of this work is to use the data in FoodMicrobionet database to obtain quantitative insights (in terms of both abundance and prevalence) on the distribution of these bacteria in foods and food environments. We first explored the reliability of taxonomic assignments using the SILVA v138.1 reference database with full length and partial sequences of the 16S rRNA gene for type strain sequences. Full length 16S rRNA gene sequences allow a reasonably good classification at the genus and species level in phylogenetic trees but shorter sequences (V1-V3, V3-V4, V4) perform much worse, with type strains of many species sharing identical V4 and V3-V4 sequences. Taxonomic assignment at the genus level of 16S rRNA genes sequences and the SILVA v138.1 reference database can be done for almost all genera of the family Lactobacillaceae with a high degree of confidence for full length sequences, and with a satisfactory level of accuracy for the V1-V3 regions. Results for the V3-V4 and V4 region are still acceptable but significantly worse. Taxonomic assignment at the species level for sequences for the V1-V3, V3-V4, V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene of members of the family Lactobacillaceae is hardly possible and, even for full length sequences, and only 49.9 % of the type strain sequences can be unambiguously assigned to species. We then used the FoodMicrobionet database to evaluate the prevalence and abundance of Lactobacillaceae in food samples and in food related environments. Generalist and specialist genera were clearly evident. The ecological distribution of several genera was confirmed and insights on the distribution and potential origin of rare genera (Dellaglioa, Holzapfelia, Schleiferilactobacillus) were obtained. We also found that combining Amplicon Sequence Variants from different studies is indeed possible, but provides little additional information, even when strict criteria are used for the filtering of sequences.

Dietary Live Yeast Supplementation Influence on Cow’s Milk, Teat and Bedding Microbiota in a Grass-Diet Dairy System

The supplementation of animal feed with microbial additives remains questioning for the traditional or quality label raw milk cheeses with regard to microbial transfer to milk. We evaluated the effect of dietary administration of live yeast on performance and microbiota of raw milk, teat skin, and bedding material of dairy cows. Two balanced groups of cows (21 primiparous 114 ± 24 DIM, 18 multiparous 115 ± 33 DIM) received either a concentrate supplemented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 (1 × 1010 CFU/d) during four months (LY group) or no live yeast (C group). The microbiota in individual milk samples, teat skins, and bedding material were analysed using culture dependent techniques and high-throughput amplicon sequencing. The live yeast supplementation showed a numerical increase on body weight over the experiment and there was a tendency for higher milk yield for LY group. A sequence with 100% identity to that of the live yeast was sporadically found in fungal amplicon datasets of teat skin and bedding material but never detected in milk samples. The bedding material and teat skin from LY group presented a higher abundance of Pichia kudriavzevii reaching 53% (p < 0.05) and 10% (p < 0.05) respectively. A significant proportion of bacterial and fungal ASVs shared between the teat skin and the milk of the corresponding individual was highlighted.

Microbial communities and main features of labneh Ambaris, a traditional Lebanese fermented goat milk product

Labneh Ambaris is a traditional Lebanese dairy product typically made using goat milk in special earthenware jars. Its production is characterized by the regular additions of milk and coarse salt, all while draining the whey throughout a process that lasts for a minimum of 2 mo. In this study, 20 samples of labneh Ambaris, all produced by spontaneous fermentation, were studied. They were collected at the end of fermentation from different regions in Lebanon. Physicochemical and sensory properties were studied and microbial diversity was analyzed using culture-dependent and independent techniques. The V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and the ITS2 region were sequenced by DNA metabarcoding analyses for the identification of bacteria and yeast communities, respectively. Out of 160 bacterial and 36 fungal taxa, 117 different bacterial species and 24 fungal species were identified among all labneh Ambaris samples studied. The remaining ones were multi-affiliated and could not be identified at the species level. Lactobacillus was the dominant bacterial genus, followed by Lentilactobacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Lacticaseibacillus, and Lactococcus genera, whereas Geotrichum and Pichia were the dominant fungal genera. The 20 samples tested had varying levels of salt, protein, and fat contents, but they were all highly acidic (mostly having a pH < 4). According to the sensory scores generated by classical descriptive analysis, all samples were described as having basic similar characteristics such as goat smell and flavor, but they could be differentiated based on various intensities within the same descriptors like salty and acidic. This work could be considered as a base toward obtaining a quality label for labneh Ambaris.

Functional changes in Bleu d'Auvergne cheese during ripening

The authentic characteristics of the famous Bleu d'Auvergne cheese were studied. Many parameters were analysed during the ripening of cheeses. Migrations of Na and Ca ions, associated with a pH gradient, occurred between the rind and the core. At 34 days, this cheese had a high salt content (2.87 %), contributing to 23 % of the recommended sodium intake for adults, but significant calcium (6.14 g/kg) and vitamin B12 (1.14 µg/100 g) levels. Thus, a 40 g serving contributed to 25 % of the population reference intake for Ca and 11 % of the adequate intake for B12. Proteolysis, yeast and mould counts strongly increased. Lactococcus and Streptococcus were predominant and correlated with B2 and B6 levels. Bleu d'Auvergne was characterised by salty taste, blue odour and aroma. This cheese has a noticeable B vitamins concentration, but the level of salt should be reduced to meet the nutritional guidelines, possibly by implementing alternative salting methods.

Artisanal Household Milk Pasteurization Is Not a Determining Factor in Structuring the Microbial Communities of Labneh Ambaris: A Pilot Study

Labneh Ambaris is a traditional Lebanese dairy product traditionally made using raw goat's milk in earthenware jars, but recently the use of artisanally pasteurized milk was introduced for safety reasons. In this study, 12 samples of labneh Ambaris were studied, six made using raw goat's milk and six others using artisanally pasteurized goat's milk. These samples were collected during fermentation and their microbial compositions were analyzed. The 16S V3-V4 and the ITS2 regions of the rDNA were sequenced by DNA metabarcoding analyses for the identification and comparison of bacterial and fungal communities, respectively. The samples had high microbial diversity but differences in samples microbiota were unrelated to whether or not milk was pasteurized. The samples were consequently clustered on the basis of their dominant bacterial or fungal species, regardless of the milk used. Concerning bacterial communities, samples were clustered into 3 groups, one with a higher abundance of Lactobacillus helveticus, another with Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens as the dominant bacterial species, and the third with Lentilactobacillus sp. as the most abundant species. Species belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family were detected in higher abundance in all raw milk samples than in artisanally pasteurized milk samples. As for fungal communities, the samples were clustered into two groups, one dominated by Geotrichum candidum and the other by Pichia kudriavzevii.

Combination of Whole Genome Sequencing and Metagenomics for Microbiological Diagnostics

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) provides the highest resolution for genome-based species identification and can provide insight into the antimicrobial resistance and virulence potential of a single microbiological isolate during the diagnostic process. In contrast, metagenomic sequencing allows the analysis of DNA segments from multiple microorganisms within a community, either using an amplicon- or shotgun-based approach. However, WGS and shotgun metagenomic data are rarely combined, although such an approach may generate additive or synergistic information, critical for, e.g., patient management, infection control, and pathogen surveillance. To produce a combined workflow with actionable outputs, we need to understand the pre-to-post analytical process of both technologies. This will require specific databases storing interlinked sequencing and metadata, and also involves customized bioinformatic analytical pipelines. This review article will provide an overview of the critical steps and potential clinical application of combining WGS and metagenomics together for microbiological diagnosis.

Contribution of omics to biopreservation: Toward food microbiome engineering

Biopreservation is a sustainable approach to improve food safety and maintain or extend food shelf life by using beneficial microorganisms or their metabolites. Over the past 20 years, omics techniques have revolutionised food microbiology including biopreservation. A range of methods including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and meta-omics derivatives have highlighted the potential of biopreservation to improve the microbial safety of various foods. This review shows how these approaches have contributed to the selection of biopreservation agents, to a better understanding of the mechanisms of action and of their efficiency and impact within the food ecosystem. It also presents the potential of combining omics with complementary approaches to take into account better the complexity of food microbiomes at multiple scales, from the cell to the community levels, and their spatial, physicochemical and microbiological heterogeneity. The latest advances in biopreservation through omics have emphasised the importance of considering food as a complex and dynamic microbiome that requires integrated engineering strategies to increase the rate of innovation production in order to meet the safety, environmental and economic challenges of the agri-food sector.

High-throughput qPCR and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing as complementary methods for the investigation of the cheese microbiota

Background

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods and especially 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing have become indispensable tools in microbial ecology. While they have opened up new possibilities for studying microbial communities, they also have one drawback, namely providing only relative abundances and thus compositional data. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) has been used for years for the quantification of bacteria. However, this method requires the development of specific primers and has a low throughput. The constraint of low throughput has recently been overcome by the development of high-throughput qPCR (HT-qPCR), which allows for the simultaneous detection of the most prevalent bacteria in moderately complex systems, such as cheese and other fermented dairy foods. In the present study, the performance of the two approaches, NGS and HT-qPCR, was compared by analyzing the same DNA samples from 21 Raclette du Valais protected designation of origin (PDO) cheeses. Based on the results obtained, the differences, accuracy, and usefulness of the two approaches were studied in detail.

Results

The results obtained using NGS (non-targeted) and HT-qPCR (targeted) show considerable agreement in determining the microbial composition of the cheese DNA samples studied, albeit the fundamentally different nature of these two approaches. A few inconsistencies in species detection were observed, particularly for less abundant ones. The detailed comparison of the results for 15 bacterial species/groups measured by both methods revealed a considerable bias for certain bacterial species in the measurements of the amplicon sequencing approach. We identified as probable origin to this PCR bias due to primer mismatches, variations in the number of copies for the 16S rRNA gene, and bias introduced in the bioinformatics analysis.

Conclusion

As the normalized microbial composition results of NGS and HT-qPCR agreed for most of the 21 cheese samples analyzed, both methods can be considered as complementary and reliable for studying the microbial composition of cheese. Their combined application proved to be very helpful in identifying potential biases and overcoming methodological limitations in the quantitative analysis of the cheese microbiota.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12866-022-02451-y.

Integration of Multiomic Data to Characterize the Influence of Milk Fat Composition on Cantal-Type Cheese Microbiota

A previous study identified differences in rind aspects between Cantal-type cheeses manufactured from the same skimmed milk, supplemented with cream derived either from pasture-raised cows (P) or from cows fed with maize silage (M). Using an integrated analysis of multiomic data, the present study aimed at investigating potential correlations between cream origin and metagenomic, lipidomic and volatolomic profiles of these Cantal cheeses. Fungal and bacterial communities of cheese cores and rinds were characterized using DNA metabarcoding at different ripening times. Lipidome and volatolome were obtained from the previous study at the end of ripening. Rind microbial communities, especially fungal communities, were influenced by cream origin. Among bacteria, Brachybacterium were more abundant in P-derived cheeses than in M-derived cheeses after 90 and 150 days of ripening. Sporendonema casei, a yeast added as a ripening starter during Cantal manufacture, which contributes to rind typical aspect, had a lower relative abundance in P-derived cheeses after 150 days of ripening. Relative abundance of this fungus was highly negatively correlated with concentrations of C18 polyunsaturated fatty acids and to concentrations of particular volatile organic compounds, including 1-pentanol and 3-methyl-2-pentanol. Overall, these results evidenced original interactions between milk fat composition and the development of fungal communities in cheeses.

Identification of isolated or mixed strains from long reads: a challenge met on Streptococcus thermophilus using a MinION sequencer

This study aimed to provide efficient recognition of bacterial strains on personal computers from MinION (Nanopore) long read data. Thanks to the fall in sequencing costs, the identification of bacteria can now proceed by whole genome sequencing. MinION is a fast, but highly error-prone sequencing device and it is a challenge to successfully identify the strain content of unknown simple or complex microbial samples. It is heavily constrained by memory management and fast access to the read and genome fragments. Our strategy involves three steps: indexing of known genomic sequences for a given or several bacterial species; a request process to assign a read to a strain by matching it to the closest reference genomes; and a final step looking for a minimum set of strains that best explains the observed reads. We have applied our method, called ORI, on 77 strains of Streptococcus thermophilus. We worked on several genomic distances and obtained a detailed classification of the strains, together with a criterion that allows merging of what we termed 'sibling' strains, only separated by a few mutations. Overall, isolated strains can be safely recognized from MinION data. For mixtures of several non-sibling strains, results depend on strain abundance.

RESCRIPt: Reproducible sequence taxonomy reference database management

Nucleotide sequence and taxonomy reference databases are critical resources for widespread applications including marker-gene and metagenome sequencing for microbiome analysis, diet metabarcoding, and environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys. Reproducibly generating, managing, using, and evaluating nucleotide sequence and taxonomy reference databases creates a significant bottleneck for researchers aiming to generate custom sequence databases. Furthermore, database composition drastically influences results, and lack of standardization limits cross-study comparisons. To address these challenges, we developed RESCRIPt, a Python 3 software package and QIIME 2 plugin for reproducible generation and management of reference sequence taxonomy databases, including dedicated functions that streamline creating databases from popular sources, and functions for evaluating, comparing, and interactively exploring qualitative and quantitative characteristics across reference databases. To highlight the breadth and capabilities of RESCRIPt, we provide several examples for working with popular databases for microbiome profiling (SILVA, Greengenes, NCBI-RefSeq, GTDB), eDNA and diet metabarcoding surveys (BOLD, GenBank), as well as for genome comparison. We show that bigger is not always better, and reference databases with standardized taxonomies and those that focus on type strains have quantitative advantages, though may not be appropriate for all use cases. Most databases appear to benefit from some curation (quality filtering), though sequence clustering appears detrimental to database quality. Finally, we demonstrate the breadth and extensibility of RESCRIPt for reproducible workflows with a comparison of global hepatitis genomes. RESCRIPt provides tools to democratize the process of reference database acquisition and management, enabling researchers to reproducibly and transparently create reference materials for diverse research applications. RESCRIPt is released under a permissive BSD-3 license at https://github.com/bokulich-lab/RESCRIPt.

Generating and managing sequence and taxonomy reference data presents a bottleneck to many researchers, whether they are generating custom databases or attempting to format existing, curated reference databases for use with standard sequence analysis tools. Evaluating database quality and choosing the “best” database can be an equally formidable challenge. We developed RESCRIPt to alleviate this bottleneck, supporting reproducible, streamlined generation, curation, and evaluation of reference sequence databases. RESCRIPt uses QIIME 2 artifact file formats, which store all processing steps as data provenance within each file, allowing researchers to retrace the computational steps used to generate any given file. We used RESCRIPt to benchmark several commonly used marker-gene sequence databases for 16S rRNA genes, ITS, and COI sequences, demonstrating both the utility of RESCRIPt to streamline use of these databases, but also to evaluate several qualitative and quantitative characteristics of each database. We show that larger databases are not always best, and curation steps to reduce redundancy and filter out noisy sequences may be beneficial for some applications. We anticipate that RESCRIPt will streamline the use, management, and evaluation/selection of reference database materials for microbiomics, diet metabarcoding, eDNA, and other diverse applications.

Composition, Succession, and Source Tracking of Microbial Communities throughout the Traditional Production of a Farmstead Cheese

Prior to the advent of milk pasteurization and the use of defined-strain starter cultures, the production and ripening of cheese relied on the introduction and growth of adventitious microbes from the environment. This study characterized microbial community structures throughout a traditional farmstead cheese production continuum and evaluated the role of the environment in microbial transfer. In total, 118 samples (e.g., raw milk, cheese, and environmental surfaces) were collected from milk harvesting through cheese ripening. Microbial communities were characterized based on amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal internal transcribed spacer genes using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Results indicated that the environment in each processing room harbored unique microbial ecosystems and consistently contributed microbes to milk, curd, and cheese. The diverse microbial composition of milk was initially attributed to milker hands and cow teats and then changed substantially following overnight ripening in a wooden vat to one dominated by lactic acid bacteria, including Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus, and Leuconostoc, as well as fungi such as Exophiala, Kluyveromyces, and Candida. Additional microbial contributions were attributed to processing tools, but the composition of the cheese paste remained relatively stable over 60 days of ripening. In contrast, rind communities that were largely influenced by direct contact with bamboo aging mats showed a distinct succession pattern compared to the interior sections. Overall, these findings highlight the critical role of traditional tools and practices in shaping the microbial composition of cheese and broaden our understanding of processing environments as important sources of microbes in food. IMPORTANCE Throughout the 20th century, especially in the United States, sanitation practices, pasteurization of milk, and the use of commercial defined-strain starter cultures have enhanced the safety and consistency of cheese. However, these practices can reduce cheese microbial diversity. The rapid growth of the artisanal cheese industry in the United States has renewed interest in recapturing the diversity of dairy products and the microbes involved in their production. Here, we demonstrate the essential role of the environment, including the use of wooden tools and cheesemaking equipment, as sources of dominant microbes that shape the fermentation and ripening processes of a traditional farmstead cheese produced without the addition of starter cultures or direct inoculation of any other bacteria or fungi. These data enrich our understanding of the microbial interactions between products and the environment and identify taxa that contribute to the microbial diversity of cheese and cheese production.

Propionic acid bacteria in the food industry: An update on essential traits and detection methods

Propionic acid bacteria (PAB) is an umbrella term for a group of bacteria with the ability to produce propionic acid. In the past, due to this common feature and other phenotypic similarities, genetically heterogeneous bacteria were considered as a single genus, Propionibacterium. Members of this genus ranged from "dairy propionibacteria," which are widely known for their role in eye and flavor formation in cheese production, to "cutaneous propionibacteria," which are primarily associated with human skin. In 2016, the introduction of two new genera based on genotypic data facilitated a clear separation of cutaneous (Cutibacterium spp.) from dairy PAB (Propionibacterium spp., Acidipropionibacterium spp.). In light of these taxonomic changes, but with particular emphasis on dairy PAB, this review describes the current state of knowledge about metabolic pathways and other characteristics such as antibiotic resistance and virulence factors. In addition, the relevance of dairy PAB for the food industry and cheese production in particular is highlighted. Furthermore, methods for cultivation, detection, and enumeration are reviewed, incorporating the current taxonomy as well as the potential for routine applications.

Unraveling the world of halophilic and halotolerant bacteria in cheese by combining cultural, genomic and metagenomic approaches

Halophilic/halotolerant bacteria are generally assumed to live in natural environments, although they may also be found in foods such as cheese and seafood. These salt-loving bacteria have been occasionally characterized in cheese, and studies on their ecological and technological functions are still scarce. We therefore selected 13 traditional cheeses to systematically characterize these microorganisms in their rinds via cultural, genomic and metagenomic methods. Using different salt-based media, we identified 35 strains with unique 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequences, whose whole genome was sequenced. Twenty are Gram-positive species including notably Brevibacterium aurantiacum (6) and Staphylococcus equorum (3), which are also frequently added as starters. ANI and pan-genomic analyses confirm the high genetic diversity of B. aurantiacum and reveal the presence of two subspecies in S. equorum, as well as the genetic proximity of several cheese strains to bovine isolates. Additionally, we isolated 15 Gram-negative strains, potentially defining ten new species of halophilic/halotolerant cheese bacteria, in particular for the genera Halomonas and Psychrobacter. The use of all the genomes sequenced in this study as a reference to complement those existing in the databases allowed us to study the representativeness of 66 species of halophilic/halotolerant bacteria in 74 cheese rind metagenomes. While Gram-positive strains may flourish in the different types of technologies, Gram-negative species are particularly abundant in cheeses with high moisture, such as washed-rind cheeses. Finally, analyses of co-occurrences reveal assemblies, including the frequent coexistence of several species of the same genus, forming moderately complex ecosystems with functional redundancies that probably ensure stable cheese development.

BEExact: a Metataxonomic Database Tool for High-Resolution Inference of Bee-Associated Microbial Communities

High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing technologies have robust potential to improve our understanding of bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)-associated microbial communities and their impact on hive health and disease. Despite recent computation algorithms now permitting exact inferencing of high-resolution exact amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), the taxonomic classification of these ASVs remains a challenge due to inadequate reference databases. To address this, we assemble a comprehensive data set of all publicly available bee-associated 16S rRNA gene sequences, systematically annotate poorly resolved identities via inclusion of 618 placeholder labels for uncultivated microbial dark matter, and correct for phylogenetic inconsistencies using a complementary set of distance-based and maximum likelihood correction strategies. To benchmark the resultant database (BEExact), we compare performance against all existing reference databases in silico using a variety of classifier algorithms to produce probabilistic confidence scores. We also validate realistic classification rates on an independent set of ∼234 million short-read sequences derived from 32 studies encompassing 50 different bee types (36 eusocial and 14 solitary). Species-level classification rates on short-read ASVs range from 80 to 90% using BEExact (with ∼20% due to "bxid" placeholder names), whereas only ∼30% at best can be resolved with current universal databases. A series of data-driven recommendations are developed for future studies. We conclude that BEExact (https://github.com/bdaisley/BEExact) enables accurate and standardized microbiota profiling across a broad range of bee species-two factors of key importance to reproducibility and meaningful knowledge exchange within the scientific community that together, can enhance the overall utility and ecological relevance of routine 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing endeavors.IMPORTANCE The failure of current universal taxonomic databases to support the rapidly expanding field of bee microbiota research has led to many investigators relying on "in-house" reference sets or manual classification of sequence reads (usually based on BLAST searches), often with vague identity thresholds and subjective taxonomy choices. This time-consuming, error- and bias-prone process lacks standardization, cripples the potential for comparative cross-study analysis, and in many cases is likely to incorrectly sway study conclusions. BEExact is structured on and leverages several complementary bioinformatic techniques to enable refined inference of bee host-associated microbial communities without any other methodological modifications necessary. It also bridges the gap between current practical outcomes (i.e., phylotype-to-genus level constraints with 97% operational taxonomic units [OTUs]) and the theoretical resolution (i.e., species-to-strain level classification with 100% ASVs) attainable in future microbiota investigations. Other niche habitats could also likely benefit from customized database curation via implementation of the novel approaches introduced in this study.

Metataxonomic and metagenomic approaches for the study of undefined strain starters for cheese manufacture

Undefined strain starters are used for the production of many traditional and artisanal cheeses. Composition of undefined starters depends on several factors, and the diversity in strains and species significantly affects cheese quality and features. Culture-dependent approaches have long been used for the microbial profiling and functionalities of undefined cultures but underestimate their diversity due to culturability biases. Recently, culture-independent methods, based on high-throughput sequencing (HTS), have been preferred, with a significant boost in resolution power and sensitivity level. Amplicon targeted (AT) metagenomics, based on 16S rRNA sequencing, returned a larger microbiota diversity at genus and, sometimes, at species levels for artisanal starters of several PDO cheeses, but was inappropriate for populations with high strain diversity, and other gene targets were tested in AT approaches. Shotgun metagenomics (total DNA) and metatranscriptomics (total RNA), although are more powerful in depicting diversity and functionality of undefined cultures, have been rarely applied because of some limitations (e.g., high costs and laboriousness, need for bioinformatics skills). The advantages of HTS technologies are undoubted, but some hurdles need to be still overcame (e.g., resolution power, discrepancy between active and inactive cells, robust analytic pipelines, cost and time reduction for integrated approaches) so that HTS become routinary and convenient for defining complexity, microbial interactions (including host-phage relationships) and evolution in cheeses of undefined starters.

Development of a High-Throughput Microfluidic qPCR System for the Quantitative Determination of Quality-Relevant Bacteria in Cheese

The composition of the cheese microbiome has an important impact on the sensorial quality and safety of cheese. Therefore, much effort has been made to investigate the microbial community composition of cheese. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is a well-established method for detecting and quantifying bacteria. High-throughput qPCR (HT-qPCR) using microfluidics brings further advantages by providing fast results and by decreasing the cost per sample. We have developed a HT-qPCR approach for the rapid and cost-efficient quantification of microbial species in cheese by designing qPCR assays targeting 24 species/subspecies commonly found in cheese. Primer pairs were evaluated on the Biomark (Fluidigm) microfluidic HT-qPCR system using DNA from single strains and from artificial mock communities. The qPCR assays worked efficiently under identical PCR conditions, and the validation showed satisfying inclusivity, exclusivity, and amplification efficiencies. Preliminary results obtained from the HT-qPCR analysis of DNA samples of model cheeses made with the addition of adjunct cultures confirmed the potential of the microfluidic HT-qPCR system to screen for selected bacterial species in the cheese microbiome. HT-qPCR data of DNA samples of two downgraded commercial cheeses showed that this approach provides valuable information that can help to identify the microbial origin of quality defects. This newly developed HT-qPCR system is a promising approach that will allow simultaneous monitoring of quality-relevant species in fermented foods with high bacterial diversity, thereby opening up new perspectives for the control and assurance of high product quality.

rANOMALY: AmplicoN wOrkflow for Microbial community AnaLYsis

Bioinformatic tools for marker gene sequencing data analysis are continuously and rapidly evolving, thus integrating most recent techniques and tools is challenging. We present an R package for data analysis of 16S and ITS amplicons based sequencing. This workflow is based on several R functions and performs automatic treatments from fastq sequence files to diversity and differential analysis with statistical validation. The main purpose of this package is to automate bioinformatic analysis, ensure reproducibility between projects, and to be flexible enough to quickly integrate new bioinformatic tools or statistical methods. rANOMALY is an easy to install and customizable R package, that uses amplicon sequence variants (ASV) level for microbial community characterization. It integrates all assets of the latest bioinformatics methods, such as better sequence tracking, decontamination from control samples, use of multiple reference databases for taxonomic annotation, all main ecological analysis for which we propose advanced statistical tests, and a cross-validated differential analysis by four different methods. Our package produces ready to publish figures, and all of its outputs are made to be integrated in Rmarkdown code to produce automated reports.

Higher microbial diversity in raw than in pasteurized milk Raclette-type cheese enhances peptide and metabolite diversity after in vitro digestion

Numerous bacteria are responsible for hydrolysis of proteins during cheese ripening. The raw milk flora is a major source of bacterial variety, starter cultures are needed for successful acidification of the cheese and proteolytic strains like Lactobacillus helveticus, are added for flavor improvement or acceleration of ripening processes. To study the impact of higher bacterial diversity in cheese on protein hydrolysis during simulated human digestion, Raclette-type cheeses were produced from raw or heat treated milk, with or without proteolytic L. helveticus and ripened for 120 days. Kinetic processes were studied with a dynamic (DIDGI®) in vitro protocol and endpoints with the static INFOGEST in vitro digestion protocol, allowing a comparison of the two in vitro protocols at the level of gastric and intestinal endpoints. Both digestion protocols resulted in comparable peptide patterns after intestinal digestion and higher microbial diversity in cheeses led to a more diverse peptidome after simulated digestion.

Effects of Maresin 1 (MaR1) on Colonic Inflammation and Gut Dysbiosis in Diet-Induced Obese Mice

The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of Maresin 1 (MaR1), a DHA-derived pro-resolving lipid mediator, on obesity-related colonic inflammation and gut dysbiosis in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. In colonic mucosa of DIO mice, the MaR1 treatment decreased the expression of inflammatory genes, such as Tnf-α and Il-1β. As expected, the DIO mice exhibited significant changes in gut microbiota composition at the phylum, genus, and species levels, with a trend to a higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Deferribacteres and Synergistetes also increased in the DIO animals. In contrast, these animals exhibited a significant decrease in the content of Cyanobacteria and Actinobacteria. Treatment with MaR1 was not able to reverse the dysbiosis caused by obesity on the most abundant phyla. However, the MaR1 treatment increased the content of P. xylanivorans, which have been considered to be a promising probiotic with healthy effects on gut inflammation. Finally, a positive association was found between the Deferribacteres and Il-1β expression, suggesting that the increase in Deferribacteres observed in obesity could contribute to the overexpression of inflammatory cytokines in the colonic mucosa. In conclusion, MaR1 administration ameliorates the inflammatory state in the colonic mucosa and partially compensates changes on gut microbiota caused by obesity.

The food-gut axis: lactic acid bacteria and their link to food, the gut microbiome and human health

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are present in foods, the environment and the animal gut, although fermented foods (FFs) are recognized as the primary niche of LAB activity. Several LAB strains have been studied for their health-promoting properties and are employed as probiotics. FFs are recognized for their potential beneficial effects, which we review in this article. They are also an important source of LAB, which are ingested daily upon FF consumption. In this review, we describe the diversity of LAB and their occurrence in food as well as the gut microbiome. We discuss the opportunities to study LAB diversity and functional properties by considering the availability of both genomic and metagenomic data in public repositories, as well as the different latest computational tools for data analysis. In addition, we discuss the role of LAB as potential probiotics by reporting the prevalence of key genomic features in public genomes and by surveying the outcomes of LAB use in clinical trials involving human subjects. Finally, we highlight the need for further studies aimed at improving our knowledge of the link between LAB-fermented foods and the human gut from the perspective of health promotion.