Custom-made yoghurt
Biotechnologist Sebastián Mendoza developed a mathematical model for one of the bacteria often used to make yoghurt. This can improve yogurt production.
To make yoghurt from milk, there are two types of bacteria that are often used: lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus. The metabolic activity of these bacteria determines the taste of the yoghurt.
For one of the commonly used bacteria, the lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, no mathematical model was yet available to systematically investigate its metabolic activity. Mendoza developed such a model. This model shows the metabolic properties that allow the bacterium to flourish in the protein-rich environment of milk.
Mendoza’s research gives us a better understanding of how this bacterium behaves when producing yoghurt. Using the model, manufacturers will in the future be able to design different types of yoghurt on computers before conducting laboratory tests. This opens up possibilities for more precise and optimized development of yoghurt products.
More information on the thesis