- Korea Food Research Institute launches KFRI Microbial Resource Bank online service

- Collection includes more than 2,000 strains from jeotgal, 1,500 from doenjang, 1,000 from kimchi

Researchers at the Korea Food Research Institute conduct experiments. [Herald DB]
Researchers at the Korea Food Research Institute conduct experiments. [Herald DB]

More than 5,000 microbial strains isolated from traditional Korean fermented foods — including doenjang, kimchi and jeotgal (salted fermented seafood) — are now available as new materials for the food and biotech industries.

The Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) said it has launched the KFRI Microbial Resource Bank, an online service that allows users to search and request microbial strains collected from traditional fermented foods.

KFRI has been collecting and preserving food microbial resources since the 1990s. Strains were previously distributed on an individual basis in response to requests from research institutions and industry, but the new online platform lets users search for the strains they need, access related information and submit requests directly.

The KFRI Microbial Resource Bank is a specialized repository focused on collecting and managing microorganisms derived from traditional fermented foods. It supports use of strains sourced from fermented foods long embedded in Korean food culture, with applications in food ingredients, fermentation processes and probiotic development.

The publicly available collection currently includes more than 2,000 strains from jeotgal, about 1,500 from doenjang, around 1,000 from kimchi varieties including dongchimi (radish water kimchi), about 300 from sikhae (fermented fish and grain), about 300 from gochujang, around 260 from cheonggukjang (fast-fermented soybean paste) and about 80 from nuruk (traditional fermentation starter).

Of these, about 2,900 strains have a history of use as food ingredients or can be reviewed for potential use under relevant standards. Around 400 candidate strains are also available for evaluation as potential probiotic materials.

KFRI said it plans to expand the service beyond simple strain distribution into a data-driven microbial platform.

Functional data — including carbohydrate, lipid and protein degradation activity — have already been compiled for more than 1,200 strains and are available online. Whole-genome sequencing has been completed for more than 180 strains. The resulting data will serve as foundational material for evaluating the functionality and safety of strains going forward.

"Industry and researchers can now access the microbial resources they need far more easily," said Lee Seong-hun, a researcher at KFRI. "We will develop this into a food microbial data platform that supports the entire research and development process — from candidate strain identification and functional verification to assessment of commercialization potential."


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com