Exploration of microbial diversity in the ethnic starter culture, Balam through 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing

Amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS of the traditional amylolytic starter culture Balam from Uttarakhand revealed a diverse microbial community dominated by the bacterial genera Lactobacillus and Pseudomonas and the fungal genus Saccharomycopsis . These fermentative microorganisms likely enhance indigenous fermentation efficiency and product palatability.