The Microbiology of Cheese

Have you ever wondered why mozzarella bubbling and stretching between pizza slices is so different from the earthy flavors of blue-veined gorgonzola? The diversity of cheeses we love are created by encouraging and manipulating the growth of specific microbes. The American Society for Microbiology is excited to explore and celebrate the roles microbes play in the production of a variety of cheeses - from milk-gathering to cheese aging.

Guest Speakers include:

Dr. Rachel Dutton, Harvard University

After receiving her PhD in Microbiology from Harvard Medical School, Rachel Dutton was awarded a Bauer fellowship at Harvard University to start an independent research group. She combined her passions of microbiology and food into a research program that has the goal of using cheese as a way to understand microbial ecosystems. Cheese is home to a fascinating assortment of microbes; from bacteria, yeasts and molds, to microscopic mites. Work in the Dutton lab involves studying the microbial diversity of cheeses from around the world, and looking at how cheese microbes interact with each other to form communities. Rachel has been a speaker at events such as the World Science Festival, and regularly gives classes to the general public on the science of cheese and other fermented foods. Research from the Dutton lab has been featured in Lucky Peach Magazine, The Mind of a Chef TV series on PBS, EdibleBoston, the Boston Globe, NPR, and the New York Times. 

Mateo Kehler, Jasper Hill Farms

Mateo Kehler started Jasper Hill Farm with his brother Andy in 2003 where they produce a wide range of cheeses from the milk of their herd of 45 Ayrshire cows. In 2008 they started a new venture, the Cellars at Jasper Hill, a 22,000 square foot underground cheese ripening facility, to lower the barriers to entry for new cheesemakers by maturing, marketing and selling cheeses, managing logistics and administration and providing technical support to local producers. The Cellars at Jasper Hill is committed to developing economic mechanisms to keep the working landscape in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom working, and delivering deliciousness is a core and principle component in this effort. Mateo lives on the farm in Greensboro, VT with his wife Angie and children Reed and Zola.