Added by on 2014-04-10

yeast

Science can make a whole lot of things better.  Why shouldn’t beer be one of them?

As Popular Mechanics reports, the Yeast 2.0 project has designed and written an 11-million-letter DNA code which is being snipped out and snapped into cultures of regular yeast. And recently, they blew past their first development milestone by completing an entire chromosome — the third in yeast’s 16-chromosome structure. And as Popular Mechanics reports, they’re doing more than rewriting. They’re optimizing and downsizing the length of the genetic code that the yeast relies upon to fulfill its genetic destiny, essentially turning the blueprint of life into something more like computer code. Ultimately, it’s 10-15% shorter.

But what does this really mean when you’re choosing your next six pack? Well, with the right yeast, brewers can coax all sorts of flavors out of beer. If brewers are able to use a very specific yeast, they could achieve a very specific flavor and potentially make beers to fit anyone’s tastebuds. No long will you be able to say you don’t like beer … you just still haven’t found the right one for you. Simply put: more yeasts = more flavors. 

Bold added by for emphasis.  That’s the bottom line here.  The other bottom line is that this will introduce even more GMOs onto the shelves, and they still don’t have to be labeled.  GMO-conscious consumers may soon have to start scrutinizing yet another purchase, so keep that in mind.

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