Background: The most significant and frequently employed bacteria in the dairy food industry are lactic acid bacteria. To produce cheese commercially, carefully chosen starting cultures are needed. These starter cultures are mainly composed of lactic acid bacteria (LAB).&nbsp; 
 
Methods: To isolate and identify Lactobacillus from Austagram cheese, biochemical tests were used and for molecular characterization, a PCR test was used. 
 
Result: A total of 112 raw cheese samples from different producers were analyzed for detection of Lactobacillus, of which 97 samples were found positive in primary isolation using culture media and the overall prevalence of Lactobacillus was 86.60%. In the case of a biochemical test, the overall prevalence was 81.25% and in the case of a PCR test, the overall prevalence was 73.21%. In the case of gram staining, the bacteria were stained blue and purple and rod-like bacilli or sphere-shaped cocci without spores were visible under the microscope. A total of 97 gram-positive microorganisms were identified as Lactobacillus, of which 61 were rod-shaped bacilli and the remainder, 36, were cocci. Molecular characterization of LAB strains found in traditional cheeses will improve our understanding of traditional food microbiota and help us find probiotic bacteria with significant benefits for industry and&nbsp;human&nbsp;health.

Molecular Identification of Lactobacillus from Austagram Cheese

Background: This study aims to identify the types of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in raw cow milk obtained from different locations in Babylon, Iraq using genetic analysis and study the phylogenetic relationship among them. 
 
Methods: The study was based on 74 isolates collected from different milk samples. LAB was isolated on selective media from MRS agar after conducting a series of decimal dilutions. LAB was diagnosed depending on the morphological characteristics and nitrogenous base sequences for the 16S rRNA gene, which was 1500 bp. the whole genome was extracted from all isolates. 
 
Result: This study identified 74 isolated bacteria as gram-positive lactic acid bacteria (LAB), with most being cocci and the rest bacilli. Six LAB species were identified through genetic analysis (16S rRNA sequencing):&nbsp;Lactobacillus rhamnosus, L. kefiri, L. curvatus, Lactococcus lactis, Pediococcus pentosaceus and&nbsp;Pediococcus acidilactici. Phylogenetic analysis revealed relationships between these species and the study highlighted how environmental factors can lead to genetic variations within LAB. The research emphasizes the importance of molecular methods for identifying and understanding the genetic diversity of LAB in food and beverage samples.

Molecular Identification of Lactobacillus from Austagram Cheese

Profiling of the Lactic Acid Bacteria Communities in Cow Milk based on 16S rRNA