RESEARCH TOPICS FOR XXXIX CYCLE – Selection procedure for one position with grant on the specific topic “Microbial biodiversity of microbial communities in Natural Whey Starters for the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese production and constitution of a Natural Whey Starter Biobank (Natural Whey Starter Biobank)”
Title of the Research Topic: Microbial biodiversity of microbial communities in Natural Whey Starters for the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese production and constitution of a Natural Whey Starter Biobank (Natural Whey Starter Biobank)
1 (one) position with grant with PNRR DM 117/2023 funds, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 3.3 for research activities at Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano
Scientific Tutor: Prof. Lisa Solieri
Research topic: Evolution of microbial communities is a cutting-edge topic, as they are used in many human-related applications and could be key actors to face the challenges of climate change and environmental pollution. The present project will focus on microbial community systems inhabiting Natural Whey Starter (NWS) used for the Parmigiano Reggiano (PR) cheese production. A massive survey of NWS over one year of PR cheese production will be carried out in the PDO area of PR cheese-making. Metadata about NWS production will be collected using a participatory approach and a biobank of single-strain cultures and complex microbial communities will be established. Cultivable techniques and the cultivation independent whole genome sequencing (WGS) approach will be applied to chart the NWS biodiversity. Farm-to-farm and seasonal fluctuations of microbial communities will be studied and putative relationships between environmental/technological parameters and microbial composition will be investigated. The study will contribute to elucidate eco-evolutionary dynamics governing microbial communities used in fermented food production and to increase the predictability of non-standardized starter in dairy production. Furthermore, the project is also of interest for conservation biology and community biology as it contributes understand how microbial communities react to different patterns of environmental fluctuations.