After Dark

Tonight’s Menu: Communal Cheese

Cheese rarely stands alone. Consider the Camembert: its white, “bloomy” rind hosts colonies of bacteria and fungi that help define its creamy interior as well as its taste. And while all cheeses begin with lactic acid bacteria fermenting milk, aged cheeses are distinguished by their signature microbial communities�"both by the species present, and how they interact.

Get a taste for the transformative roles of microbial communities with Rachel Dutton, who uses cheese as a model system for studying the formation of more complex microbial systems. SeaGlass' chef Loretta Keller and manager Clay Reynolds will serve delicious samples of microbial labor paired with wine and spirits.

Rachel Dutton is Assistant Professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of California, San Diego. Her lab studies the complexity of microbial life using simplified microbial communities such as those found on cheese. Previously a Bauer Fellow at the Harvard University Center for Systems Biology, Dr. Dutton has collaborated with numerous chefs, as well as the food science author Harold McGee. She received her Ph.D. in microbiology from Harvard University.