Human Practices Silver

Kombucha is a fermented beverage consumed around the world for its supposed health benefits. There are a multitude claims that Kombucha can prevent types of cancer and other disease, improve liver functions, and help the immune system.1 Although there are has been research with Kombucha, there is no actual scientific proof about its health benefits.

Regardless of whether or not Kombucha has health benefits, there are a lot of potential synthetic biology applications to alter its properties to make it a designer beverage. A myriad of genes can be added into the strains of bacteria in the drink. However, it is unlikely that we could market such a drink as it would be considered a genetically modified (GM).