Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026

A Gnotobiotic System for Studying Microbiome Assembly in the Phyllosphere and in Vegetable Fermentation
Published on: June 3, 2020
Microbial population dynamics and temperature changes during fermentation of kimjang kimchi
Dongyun Lee1, Sunjoo Kim, Jinhee Cho
1Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon 402-751, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
A distinct subset of lactic acid bacteria that are greatly influenced by temperature play an important role during kimchi fermentation. However, microbial population dynamics and temperature control during kimjang kimchi fermentation, which is traditionally fermented underground, are not known. Here we show that Lactobacillus sakei predominates in kimjang kimchi, perhaps due to suitable fermentation (5 approximately 9 degrees C) and storage (-2 degrees C) temperatures. The temperature of this kimchi gradually decreased to 3.2 degrees C during the first 20 days of fermentation (-0.3 degrees C/day) and then was stably maintained around 1.6 degrees C, indicating that this simple approach is very efficient both for fermentation and storage. These findings provide important information towards the development of temperature controlling systems for kimchi fermentation.
Related Concept Videos
Microbes in the Production of Fermented Foods
Microbes in Food Production
Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Temperature
Physical Methods for Controlling Microbial Growth: Temperature
Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: pH
Microbes in Beverage Production

