Effect of Interactions on Food Microbes

Microorganisms in a medium have lots of interactions with the medium as well as with other microorganisms. It can be positive interactions or it can be negative ones too. Positive interactions may increase the effect on the substrate which may cause harm or as well as a good improvement. Negative interaction may decrease the effect. These interactions are divided into two forms;

• Antagonistic
• Synergistic

Antagonistic interactions drive apart each microorganism. Which means it may reduce the activity of another microorganism.

Ex: The production of lactic acid in milk at room temperature by lactic acid bacteria inhibits gram negative rod shaped microorganisms. Gram negatives are mentioned in the 1st section-Basics in microbiology.
Synergism is the type of interactions that make two types of microorganisms to come closer each other.

Ex: Yeast present in certain grains produces vitamin B which stimulates the growth of lactic acid bacteria.

Antagonism of O. ulmi with P.syringae (top left) and other Pseudomonas strains (lower panels). Control top right.This explains that O.ulmi’s cells get degraded with the introduction ofPseudomonas strains. This means both together reduce the activity of a particular function where that particular function was positive only in the presence of O.ulmi.

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