*2.1. Microbial Strains and Media*

*A. awamori* strain 2B.361U 2/1 was kindly provided by Dr Apostolis Koutinas (Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece) and was employed for the generation of crude enzymes and cheese whey hydrolysis. Fungal strain origin and revival protocols have been reported in a previous publication [16]. Microorganisms were sub-cultured and

stored at 4 ◦C in agar slopes containing 5% (*w*/*v*) wheat bran (WB) and 2% agar (*w*/*v*). For inoculum preparation, the fungus was grown for 5 days at 30 ◦C on identical solid substrate to sporulate. *A. xylinum* strain 15,973 purchased from DSMZ culture collection was used for bacterial cellulose (BC) production. Bacterial stock was preserved at −80 ◦C. For BC production, inocula preparation was performed on Hestrin–Schramm's medium (HS) [27]. The microorganism sub-cultures were grown at 30 ◦C for 48 h under agitation (180 rpm) [28]. Wheat bran that consisted of 26% (*w*/*w*) carbohydrates, 14% (*w*/*w*) proteins and 0.01% (*w*/*w*) salt, was purchased from a local market. Deproteinized (after "myzithra" cheese manufacturing) cheese whey (approximately 50 g/L lactose) was kindly provided by "Galiatsatos" dairy company (Kefalonia, Greece).
