Scientists make cheese from human toe jam

[tripsis]

Scientists make cheese from human toe jam

By Aaron Souppouris on

November 25, 2013 06:12 am

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Eating the coagulated lactations of other animals is one of humanity's stranger habits, but rest assured that cheese derived from cow's, goat's, and sheep's milk has nothing on this. Selfmade is an exhibit that hosts a number of cheeses crafted from cells collected from human bodies. Part art, part science, it's the work of Christina Agapakis and Prof. Sissel Tolaas, who sampled microbes from human mouths, toes, navels, and even tears to craft a set of 11 unique cheeses for Grow Your Own, a synthetic biology exhibition at Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin.

Cheese made from toe microbes. (Dezeen / Selfmade)

Agapakis, a biologist currently finishing her post-doc at UCLA, was interested in cultivating discussion around how we interact with bacteria in our daily lives. Tolaas, an artist who works extensively with odors and describes herself as "a professional in-betweener" given the intersections of her work with other fields, hoped to "challenge the notion that 'bad' smells should be deoderized," Agapakis says. "People have a mixture of repulsion and attraction to cheese, and this gives us a chance to have a really interesting conversation about bacteria and odors, and why they might gross people out."

The two used swabs to collect the bacteria, including some from Michael Pollan's belly button, which they then grew in petri dishes. From there, each sample was added to milk in order to create the cheese. Although each cheese carries something of a unique bacterial signature from its human donor, Agapakis says you wouldn't know it from taking a sniff. "Each one smells different, but I don't think the smells mimic the odor of the person," she says. And those considering a nibble might want to think twice. "I'm not a professional cheese-maker, so there is a health risk there," Agapakis notes. "These aren't for human consumption."

Link.

So, would you try it?

[Bert&Ernie]

id each cheese like that if it came from my own body or a partners. but not some random lol.

This actually made me hungry :/

[Sallubrious]

I know a guy who's been making his own variation of that for years.

He calls it smegma

[Anodyne]

That article is a bit silly - I mean, how do they think regular cheese is made? Before biochem started churning out 'clean' cultures in labs, human skin was probably a major source of interesting cheese bacteria (the ones that didn't come from the animals):

*brevibacterium linens - you know how people say that some cheese smell like old feet? Yeah, it's actually the same bacterium.

*propionibacterium - are found all over the body and are used to make swiss-type cheeses

And the best one: Lactobacillus, the basic starting point for almost every type of cheese, is also the reason that pussy tastes sour.

So don't diss body bacteria - they've been making delicious cheese (and snatch) for thousands of years.

[incognito]

Not all pussy tastes sour ime. There's some sweet pussy out there

Maybee u have been tasting the wrong kinda pussy ano? Or maybee it's the right who am I to judge.

Edited November 28, 2013 by incognito

[tripsis]

That article is a bit silly - I mean, how do they think regular cheese is made? Before biochem started churning out 'clean' cultures in labs, human skin was probably a major source of interesting cheese bacteria (the ones that didn't come from the animals)

Your point being? The majority of people don't know that, so the article is good, as it educates people.

So don't diss body bacteria

Who was dissing body bacteria?

[incognito]

I think we all need more sweet pussy.

[incognito]

I cannot hear Anyone arguing that point.

[incognito]

Possibly cultivate on agar for inoculation. That possibly a million dollar idea.

I could start my own sweet pussy innoculation business.

[tripsis]

I cannot hear Anyone arguing that point.

I doubt anyone would.

Edited November 28, 2013 by tripsis

[incognito]

Sweet Pussy INC

[incognito]

Fuk off from my idea tripsis.

[tripsis]

Go fuck a pumpkin incog.

[incognito]

Are u coming onto me? Sometimes it's hard to tell. There's nothing I can do for your rank vag I'm sorry to say.. I'm just starting out.

[tripsis]

Sorry incog, I'd prefer to stay STD-free.

[incognito]

U can be std free and have a sweet vagina at the same time? Everybody wins.

[tripsis]

Not if you're the one performing the service.

[incognito]

Customer service is a tough gig.

[gtarman]

Odd turn of conversation aside, yuck. No way I would eat toe cheese.

[~shameless~]

A member could grow their own cheese here and ask questions about it in the mycology thread, then trade it for seeds and stuff, or other samples of chesse

Just like the giant pumpkin thread , "the giant dick cheese thread "

Word

[incognito]

Oh please dear god can a mod delete my posts here and seed plant exchange. Two longnecks of coopers sparkling after a 16hr shift turns me into a complete pelican. Apologies :/

[waterboy 2.0]

^ lol....leave 'em up they are good value

[incognito]

2 kg of blue vein foreskin for me please ;)

[tripsis]

They should definitely remain for posterity.

[Anodyne]

Your point being? The majority of people don't know that, so the article is good, as it educates people.

Who was dissing body bacteria?

Ah crap, that last comment was a joke. Sorry, should've jammed an emoticon in there.

I wasn't saying that it's not an interesting project, but the article doesn't do it justice. It isn't really educational - it's more an "ew, look what gross stuff scientists are doing this week" type of article. Which I found a bit bizarre, since it's essentially a description of how cheese is traditionally made. The article doesn't mention that anywhere, and most people aren't going to follow the link.

But hey, I think the cheese discussion has been superseded by incog's latest business scheme, so I'll just shut up now.