Idli Fermentation Yeast Strain Development

I am looking for a biotechnology professional with a solid background in yeast and fermentation to help me develop a new strain specifically tailored for idli production. The goal is to create a culture that consistently delivers the right balance of leavening, mild acidity and aroma while remaining robust under typical kitchen-to-commercial processing conditions. The project centres on strain development rather than simply tweaking process parameters. You will take the lead in selecting or engineering the parent strains, running laboratory trials, and fine-tuning the fermentation profile until we achieve repeatable, high-quality idli batter performance. Experience with lactic-yeast co-cultures, GRAS regulatory considerations and small-to-pilot scale transfer will be valuable. Deliverables • Detailed development plan outlining target phenotype for idli fermentation • Laboratory protocols for strain construction, screening and stability testing • Data package showing performance against current benchmark cultures (rise time, pH shift, sensory notes) • Recommendations for scale-up, shelf-life maintenance and starter culture preservation (freeze-drying or other) Acceptance criteria • Strain must complete batter fermentation within 6–8 h at 30 °C • Final batter pH 4.3 ± 0.1 with uniform gas retention and no off-flavours • Viability ≥10⁸ CFU g⁻¹ after proposed preservation method and 30 days storage If you have hands-on experience in yeast genetics, fermentation optimisation and traditional food fermentations, I’d love to collaborate.