UW-Madison scientists discovers origins of cold-fermentation yeasts

April 10, 2014 |

In Wisconsin, scientists are beginning to color in the margins of yeast ecology and genetics, identifying new strains in new environments and using the tools of molecular biology to ferret out traits that could aid industrial fermentation technologies. Writing in the journal Molecular Ecology, a team led by University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor of Genetics Chris Hittinger confirms that Saccharomyces eubayanus, the wandering parent of hybrid lager yeast discovered in 2011, is indeed a native of Patagonia. An analysis of the yeast’s genetic sequence revealed its closest affinity to one of two highly diverse Patagonian populations, confirming it was the cold-loving microbe that, 500 years ago, found its way to the caves and monastery cellars of Bavaria where lager beer was first concocted.

Their primary job in industrial fermentation settings is to break down sugars, converting them to alcohol. The grail of modern industrial fermentation research is perfecting fermentation processes for things like biofuels. Four of the seven known natural Saccharomyces species of yeast are now known to be involved in industrial processes, at least as interspecies hybrids.

“The idea,” Hittinger says, “is to tap into biodiversity and find the strains that ferment better and those strains, or their genes, can be plugged into industrial processes.”

Category: Research

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