Have any bacteria ever been domesticated If not does the use

Have any bacteria ever been domesticated? If not, does the use of the term domestication even make sense when applied to bacteria? If so, what are some examples? What about fungi?

Solution

Yes, the Gram-positive bacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus has been domesticated since ages. The bacteria has been used from time immemorial in the dairy industries.The bacteria is a probiotic and converts milk to curd. Domestication is a process of developing a sustained multigenerational relationship with a living organism. Thus, domestication of bacteria does make sense.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae commonly known as Yeast is a fungus and is domesticated for the beverage industry and for cooking purposes. Mushrooms (Agaricus sp.) are another example of the domesticated fungi.