Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world, and most people are definitely in love with its taste. While some believe that beer has the best taste in the entire world, science is there once again to prove them wrong!
It seems that the cylindrical fermentation tanks actually managed to alter the taste of beer a bit due to extra pressure caused by the carbon dioxide that occurs as a result of fermentation. Luckily, researchers found a way to overcome the issue, as ScienceAlert reveals.
In search for strains of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast that are CO2-resistant
Scientists found a strain of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast that’s resistant to CO2, and they analyzed it using genome sequencing to discover the secret behind its capacity to keep its flavor.
Johan Thevelein, a molecular biologist from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, stated as ScienceAlert quotes:
To our surprise, we identified a single mutation in the MDS3 gene, which codes for a regulator apparently involved in production of isoamyl acetate, the source of the banana-like flavor that was responsible for most of the pressure tolerance in this specific yeast strain.
Scientists were able to engineer the mutation in other strains of yeast by using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique to keep their flavor despite the CO2 pressure.
To get a better grasp on the new study, here’s a statement from the researchers’ new paper:
This work shows the strong potential of polygenic analysis and targeted genetic modification for creation of cisgenic industrial brewer’s yeast strains with specifically improved traits.
Approximately 50 billion gallons of beer each year are consumed all over the world.
The new findings were published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
