Coordinator: Università degli Studi di Parma
Scientific Officer: Giulia Tabanelli
Duration: 30/11/2023 - 29/11/2025
Research group: Giulia Tabanelli, Fausto Gardini.
The aim of Coconut project is to take advantage of the natural biodiversity of the microbial collection to build microbial consortia for the fermentation of plant-based substrates. LAB and staphylococci will be selected based on genotypic biodiversity, safety and metabolic properties. Selected strains will be combined in consortia and screened for their ability to grow and persist in nuts and legumes. The best performing combinations will be further developed to obtain a fermented food prototype, valorising the microbial biodiversity of traditional and spontaneously fermented products and providing a microbial collection for the development of other plant-based products, increasing the availability of meat alternatives for consumers.