The EU has discovered a new stain of yeast adding to the flavour and aroma of beer. Scientists, partly supported by the EU-funded Aromagenesis project, have developed novel fertile hybrid yeast strains. These fertile yeast hybrids offer the beverage industry novel and exciting options for flavours, aromas and brewing methods. The research was published in the journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’.

The newly created hybrid yeast strains demonstrated that they can effectively breed and produce offspring with specific desirable features needed for the beverage manufacturing process. “This technology has the ability to revolutionise the current practices for strain selection by allowing, via breeding, the rapid creation of efficient tailored yeasts carrying specific, novel, and important traits,” lead author Daniela Delneri, professor of evolutionary genomics at project participant The University of Manchester, United Kingdom, explained in a press release. “As well as opening opportunities in food and drink production, this approach could be used to develop novel yeast ‘cell factories’ that could be used in the field of industrial biotechnology to sustainably biomanufacture pharmaceuticals, chemicals and fuels.”

“This research demonstrates how the potential for enhancing natural biodiversity and developing new hybrids is greater than expected and will offer new ways for industry to generate new and exciting consumer choices,” added Delneri.

Anheuser-Busch InBev – the world’s largest brewer – also partly funded the research. “We are excited by these findings and pleased to have been able to support this research,” commented chief scientist Dr Philippe Malcorps. “The proof of concept opens doors to new innovations we can bring to our portfolio offering exciting new flavours via fermentations.”

The project ends in May 2022.