Along with various animals and birds, which form part of the national symbols of India, the Indian government adopted a microorganism called lactobacillus delbrueckii in the year 2012 as our national microorganism.
The reason for doing so, is primarily educational and to create awareness among people about the importance of microorganisms. Lactobacillus is an important bacteria used in food production.
Lactobacillus species are used for the production of yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, beer, wine, cider, kimchi, cocoa, and other fermented foods, as well as animal feeds, such as silage.
