How are microbes useful in household products?

(N/A) Microbes and their derivatives are used in our daily lives. $A$ common example is the production of curd from milk.
- Microorganisms such as $Lactobacillus$ and others,commonly called Lactic Acid Bacteria $(LAB)$,grow in milk and convert it into curd. During this process,$LAB$ produce acids that coagulate and partially digest milk proteins.
- $A$ small amount of curd added to fresh milk as an inoculum or starter contains millions of $LAB$,which multiply at suitable temperatures,converting milk into curd and improving its nutritional quality by increasing vitamin $B_{12}$.
- In our stomach,$LAB$ play a beneficial role in checking disease-causing microbes.
- The dough used for making foods like Dosa and Idli is fermented by bacteria. The puffed-up appearance of the dough is due to the production of $CO_2$ gas.
- Similarly,the dough used for making bread is fermented using baker's yeast ($Saccharomyces$ $cerevisiae$).
- Many traditional drinks and foods are made by microbial fermentation. 'Toddy',a traditional drink in parts of southern India,is made by fermenting sap from palms.
- Microbes are also used to ferment fish,soybean,and bamboo shoots.
- Cheese is one of the oldest food items involving microbes. Different varieties of cheese are known for their characteristic texture,flavor,and taste,which depend on the specific microbes used. For example,the large holes in 'Swiss cheese' are due to the production of a large amount of $CO_2$ by the bacterium $Propionibacterium$ $sharmanii$. 'Roquefort cheese' is ripened by growing specific fungi on it,giving it a particular flavor.