A study led by Jennifer Molinet and Francisco Cubillos of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, have discovered that new strains of yeast for brewing lager beers can yield unique flavors and aromas.

The researchers created new lager yeasts by hybridizing brewer’s yeast with natural isolates of wild S. eubayanus from Patagonia at low temperatures. The strains had mutations in genes that enhanced their ability to metabolize certain types of sugars, resulting in unique aroma profiles and high alcohol production. 

The success of these strains can be attributed to the fact that they inherited their mitochondria from cold-tolerant wild strains, not the brewer’s yeast. The study suggests that the genetic diversity found in wild yeast strains can be tapped to develop new lager yeasts suitable for industrial production.

SOURCE: Phys.org
PHOTO CREDIT: On File