Characterization of the microbiota of milk and the milking environment in artisanal cheese dairies using 16S sequencing.

• Grant number: 25/08779-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Products of Animal Origin Inspection
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Sossai Possebon
• Grantee: Letícia de Campos Crivelaro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Milk production plays a significant role in the national socioeconomic landscape, encompassing various market sectors and fulfilling a social function by supporting family farming and combating hunger and malnutrition in the country. Milk quality is directly related to the presence and diversity of microorganisms throughout the production chain, with mastitis being one of the main challenges. Undesirable microorganisms can compromise the physicochemical and sensory properties of milk, in addition to significantly reducing productivity. This high demand for quality and production of dairy products has meant that traditional diagnostic methods, although important, have limitations in detecting fastidious microorganisms, making it necessary to implement new, more advanced approaches to improve process efficiency. In this context, 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing emerges as an innovative and rapid technique for characterizing the microbiota in different production environments and raw milk samples, enabling culture-independent metagenomic analysis. The present project aims to analyze, through 16S sequencing, the microbial diversity present in milk and in the milking environment of artisanal cheese dairies in the interior of São Paulo State. Samples will undergo DNA extraction and amplification of the V3-V4 regions, allowing for statistical comparisons and identification of taxa that are exclusive to or shared among farms and seasons. The expected results may contribute to hygiene and sanitary monitoring and to the improvement of artisanal dairy production practices.