Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41596857›Full record

ReviewFoods (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Advances in Shotgun Metagenomics for Cheese Microbiology: From Microbial Dynamics to Functional Insights.

Natalia Tsouggou, Evagelina Korozi, Violeta Pemaj, Eleftherios H Drosinos, John Kapolos, Marina Papadelli, Panagiotis N Skandamis, Konstantinos Papadimitriou

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Natalia TsouggouDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of the Peloponnese, 24100 Antikalamos, Greece.
Evagelina KoroziLaboratory of Food Quality Control and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-1637-2795
Violeta PemajDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of the Peloponnese, 24100 Antikalamos, Greece.ORCID 0009-0000-1940-3836
Eleftherios H DrosinosLaboratory of Food Quality Control and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece.
John KapolosDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of the Peloponnese, 24100 Antikalamos, Greece.
Marina PapadelliDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of the Peloponnese, 24100 Antikalamos, Greece.
Panagiotis N SkandamisLaboratory of Food Quality Control and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece.ORCID 0000-0001-7878-5897
Konstantinos PapadimitriouLaboratory of Food Quality Control and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-9614-6543

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The cheese microbiome is a complex ecosystem strongly influenced by both technological practices and the processing environment. Moving beyond traditional cultured-based methods, the integration of shotgun metagenomics into cheese microbiology has enabled in-depth resolution of microbial communities at the species and strain levels. The aim of the present study was to review recent applications of shotgun metagenomics in cheese research, underscoring its role in tracking microbial dynamics during production and in discovering genes of technological importance. In addition, the review highlights how shotgun metagenomics enables the identification of key metabolic pathways, including amino acid catabolism, lipid metabolism, and citrate degradation, among others, which are central to flavor formation and ripening. Results of the discussed literature demonstrate how microbial composition, functional traits, and overall quality of cheese are determined by factors such as raw materials, the cheesemaking environment, and artisanal practices. Moreover, it highlights the analytical potentials of shotgun metagenomics, including metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) reconstruction, characterization of various genes contributing to flavor-related biosynthetic pathways, bacteriocin production, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence, as well as the identification of phages and CRISPR-Cas systems. These insights obtained are crucial for ensuring product's authenticity, enabling traceability, and improving the assessment of safety and quality. Despite shotgun metagenomics' advantages, there are still analytical restrictions concerning data handling and interpretation, which need to be addressed by importing standardization steps and moving towards integrating multi-omics approaches. Such strategies will lead to more accurate and reproducible results across studies and improved resolution of active ecosystems. Ultimately, shotgun metagenomics has shifted the field from descriptive surveys to a more detailed understanding of the underlying mechanisms shaping the overall quality and safety of cheese, thus bringing innovation in modern dairy microbiology.

Indexed as

antimicrobial resistanceARGsbacteriocinscheeseCRISPRfunctional analysisMAGsmicrobial ecologymicrobiomephageshotgun metagenomicsvirulence

Identifiers

PMID41596857
PMCPMC12840160

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.