While the worlds of cheese making and anaerobic digestion may seem unrelated, they share a hidden connection—bacteria. The cheese making industry’s mastery of bacterial manipulation offers valuable lessons for optimising microbial processes in anaerobic digestion. This article explores how the expertise of the cheese makers can illuminate the path towards selecting and cultivating the most appropriate types of bacteria for converting organic materials into green fuels and organic compounds and fertilisers.

Microbial Manipulation: A Common Thread

Both cheese making and anaerobic digestion leverage the extraordinary potential of microbial communities to achieve transformative outcomes. In the blue cheese making process, specific bacterial strains contribute to the development of diverse textures, flavors, and aromas. Similarly, anaerobic digestion relies on microbial communities to break down organic waste and produce gases. The volume and composition of which is determined by the bacteria, certain bacteria and conditions produce Hydrogen, others methane and so on. Like in cheese making the opportunity exists for AD plants to influence and enhance nature by adding bacteria or changing growing conditions (PH or temperature) to favour a particular strain.

Lesson 1: The Power of Bacterial Diversity

The cheese making industry thrives on the diverse range of bacterial strains used to create distinctive cheeses. Just as different bacteria contribute to varied cheese characteristics, microbial diversity is crucial in anaerobic digestion. A rich assortment of bacteria ensures robust biogas production and process stability. Certain strains will favour methane production and others hydrogen. This has long been understood in biogas research but bacterial manipulation has not yet been translated into industrial production, leaving opportunity for process enhancement.

Lesson 2: The Art of Bacterial Selection

In cheese making, cheese masters meticulously choose bacterial strains to craft distinct flavours. Some of these bacteria has been passed on over generations and is jealously guarded. This same attention to detail can be applied to anaerobic digestion. Although at present it is in not widely used, the careful selection of specific fermentative bacterial populations can optimise gas production, efficiency, and overall performance of the system.

Lesson 3: The Role of Inoculation

The choice of inoculating bacteria plays a pivotal role in both fields. In cheese making, the right bacterial cultures set the stage for desired flavour profiles. Similarly, selecting the correct inoculating bacteria is paramount in anaerobic digestion. These initial bacteria influence the type and volume of microbial communities that develop, affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of gas production. Typically, biogas plants tend to receive their inoculem from neighbouring plants which can leave lead to variability in outcome, a risk unlikely to be taken by the world master cheese makers.

Lesson 4: Creating a Favorable Environment

The cheese making process fosters a balanced microbial environment. Similarly, anaerobic digestion systems flourish when the microbial community thrives under optimal conditions. Just as cheese makers control temperature and humidity, operators of anaerobic digesters must create a conducive environment to support bacterial growth and activity. Anaerobic digestion is a 4 stage process, with previous stages governing the outcomes of proceeding ones. Given that interdependence, arguably more could be done within biogas plants to ensure optimal bacterial performance at each stage in every fermentation tank.

Lesson 5: Adaptation and Innovation

The cheese making tradition has evolved over centuries, adapting to changing tastes and discoveries in microbial science. Anaerobic digestion can draw inspiration from this approach by continually exploring new ways to manipulate microbial populations. Innovations in microbial management in academia result in increased biogas yield, more efficient conversion, and even the development of novel byproducts.

The French cheese making industry’s mastery of bacterial manipulation offers invaluable insights for optimising microbial processes in anaerobic digestion. From microbial diversity and precision in selection to fostering the right environment and embracing adaptation, both industries underscore the critical role of bacteria in achieving transformative outcomes. As we journey toward a more sustainable future, the lessons from the cheese makers of France illuminate a path for optimising bacteria in anaerobic digestion, elevating green energy production and environmental stewardship to new heights. Let’s hope it won’t take centuries for the biogas sector to embrace biological manipulation and industrialise its application.

To learn more about how Alps Ecoscience we help optimise anaerobic digestion bacteria through biological engineering click here.