Innovative Microbiological Technologies and Applications in Fermented Food Products for The International Conference on Traditionally Fermented Foods in the World—2024 Acetic Acid Bacteria and Monascus (2024-AAB&M)

Dear Colleagues,
Biotechnology has not only been a key field of work in the context of what we know as the third industrial revolution, but together with other fields of work such as computing, digitalization, robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and other areas, it will play a fundamental role in what has been called the fourth industrial revolution, in which the physical, biological and digital worlds are sure to become increasingly interrelated. It is common to find advances in biotechnology in the top 10, which are periodically selected from among those likely to have the greatest influence on society today and in the future.

Among the multiple capacities and potentials of biotechnology, reference can be made to the selection of new microorganisms and the development of bioprocesses with which new products can be obtained and/or existing ones can be optimized; among these bioproducts, foodstuffs can be highlighted. Advances in various techniques, such as omics, now allow us to analyze the activity of genes, the concentration of all proteins, and cell metabolites, which allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the molecular aspects of the processes we work with. This knowledge is essential to optimize the production of bioproducts and the development of new ones, while making better use of available natural resources.

In previous editions of this conference, the main microorganisms considered were acetic acid bacteria (AAB) and their products, among which vinegar stands out. In this conference, AAB will continue to play an important but not exclusive role. The microbial world responsible for food production is very complex, and it is common to find complex microbiota that are responsible for the transformations we require to produce multiple foods. For this reason, bringing together specialists in the production of fermented food, both traditional and non-traditional, is an opportunity to share experiences and increase the possibility of finding novel solutions.

Therefore, in this Special Issue, we aspire to collect papers, based on scientific communications presented at the conference, dealing with any aspect related to food production via fermentation,  except Monascus (for any aspect and/or product related to Monascus, a separate Special Issue has been proposed to which manuscripts should be sent).

By way of example, and without intending to be exhaustive, some aspects of interest include the following:

- Traditional foods;

- Food and health;

- Taxonomy and phylogenesis;

- Genetics and molecular biology;

- Biochemistry and physiology;

- Selection of new microorganisms;

- Characterization of complex microbiotas;

- Improvement and optimization of existing processes;

- Omics technologies;

- Development of sensors for monitoring fermentation;

- Exploitation of natural resources and development of new foods;

- Control of contaminants and improvement of food safety;

- Development of new microorganisms;

- Others.

Prof. Dr. Isidoro Garcia-Garcia
Dr. Maria Gullo
Prof. Dr. Pasquale Massimiliano Falcone
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• fermented foods
• traditional foods
• acetic acid bacteria
• other microorganisms
• complex microbiota
• food and health
• food safety
• omics