The vineyard becomes the lab in investigations of Botrytis cinerea. It’s a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” type of fungus because it causes two very different types of infections. It produces sweet wine grapes during noble rot but causes the plant’s demise in grey mold.
In 2008, National Public Radio’s Science Friday searched the scientific literature to find answers to an important holiday question: does the alcohol in eggnog kill Salmonella? When the team couldn’t find the answers in the literature, they instead found a lab that routinely makes eggnog each year.
Many claim that there is something special in the water or air that gives San Francisco sourdough bread its unique tang and local bakers often say that no one outside of the area can replicate the flavor and texture of San Francisco sourdough. Sourdough bread is made from a starter – a slurry of water…
Soybeans became widely popular in the last few decades. Low in fat, high in protein, a good substitute for meat, and sometimes fermented. This unassuming little bean has plenty of creative uses. Unfermented types of soy products include tofu, soymilk and in its purest, unprocessed form, edamame. Microbes transform soybeans into products as different as…
Kimchi is the national dish of South Korea and has become a global trend in the last several years. With its distinct and pungent odor, people seem to either love this stuff or despise it with all their passion. Kimchi is a mixture of vegetables and seasonings that is fermented before it is eaten. It…