bacteria

Week3: Kombucha and probiotics

According to Mayoclinic.org, kombucha is a fermented drink most commonly made using bacteria, yeast, tea and a sweetener. The author argues that kombucha is not a mushroom as I had assumed, but rather bacteria and yeast. According to Webmd.com, kombucha is used to regulate high blood pressure and cancer amongst other conditions, from hair loss to AIDS, but the scientific evidence to support its benefits in terms of those conditions is lacking.

Nanocellulose

One of the topics that really interested me that was mentioned in this weeks lectures was nanocellulose, or nano-structured cellulose produced by bacteria. Some of the special properties of nanocellulose are strength, tendency for film formation, produced from natural resources, and are, as far as we know, safe to produce and use. There are three classes of these nanomaterials: CNF (cellulose nanofibrils), CNC (cellulose nanocrystals), and BC (bacterial cellulose).

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