Programme: Scientific Research Fund

In recent years, there has been a growing consumer interest in foods obtained through traditional or region-specific methods. Such foods are distinguished by highly valued organoleptic characteristics, as well as a positive effect on human health based on certain functional ingredients they contain. In Bulgaria, similar traditional plant products include brine pickles, which are a mixture of fermented vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers, carrots, cauliflower, green tomatoes, squash, kohlrabi, celery, garlic, and parsley; sauerkraut; fermented radishes; fermented beetroot, and many others depending on the region, raw materials, and traditions. These products represent unique microbial ecosystems of spontaneously formed cultures of microorganisms in matrices of plant raw materials, characterized by an extremely complex dynamics of mixed culture during the fermentation process, resulting in end products with unique organoleptic and structural characteristics and an extended shelf life.
Over the past decade, metagenomics has made it possible to answer fundamental questions in food microbiology using innovative Next Generation Sequencing. These technologies hold great potential for revealing the functionality of complex microbial consortia and have revolutionized the field of microbial ecology and molecular biology. Identifying the microbial composition of populations through these methods leads to higher sensitivity compared to traditional culture-independent methods, which are considered quantitative.
The main activities under this project will include the isolation, molecular identification, and functional characterization of microorganisms, assessment of their probiotic potential, as well as investigation of their applicability in the development of new probiotic food products.