In the United States, AIDS activists have speeded and changed the process by which new
drugs reach the market. It is possible that the growing use of Kombucha teas in the AIDS
community will also stimulate more basic research on this quasi-mycological life-form.
Kombucha consortia may prove to be good model systems for studying biofilms, microbial mats,
and other complex microbial associations. Ongoing research in our laboratory will test the
antibacterial effects of Kombucha-fermented teas , identify the microbial species in our
cultures and measure ability of these consortia to grow on alternative carbon sources.