Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Beer is an agricultural product that has been brewed since the dawn of civilization. Several species and countless strains of yeast are employed to ferment beer but little has been known regarding the differences and origins of these yeast strains as many were serially passaged over many years in breweries. Recently, the science of genomics-the ability to determine, analyze and compare the sequences of every DNA base pair that defines an organism-has promoted investigation of these genome differences among domesticated and wild populations of brewer’s and related yeast. This is allowing a detailed comparison of strains from different fermentations and beer styles as well as comparisons to wild populations. It has also revealed the potential origins of several of these important commercial strains. New genetic analysis designed to correlate sequence with phenotype are being attempted and new genetically modified yeasts are on the horizon. The modern era of brewing is witnessing the merging of these two very different disciplines – one from serious academic science and the other from the beverage production industry. This review discusses the current state of knowledge regarding the genomics of brewer’s yeast and the impact such investigations may have on the future of the brewing industry.