Winans, M., West Virginia University, Granville, WV, USA; Appalachian Brewer Research, Morgantown, WV, USA and Gallagher, J. E., West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
Poster
Improvement of yeast for brewing is a continuous process that creates specialized yeast. Many different industries have played a part in the specialization of yeast, as can be observed from the different strains used in brewing, winemaking, sake, cider, distillation, and biofuel production. Novel yeasts are left undiscovered in the natural environment around us. Eighty-four environmental samples yielded ninety-seven novel strains of yeast, including Saccharomyces eubayanus the parent species of the lager yeast. Samples were collected from the Appalachian Mountain areas of the Northeastern United States, including a 100-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail; Southern Chile; and Southwestern Mexico. Incubation and isolation of cultures were performed in a temperature gradient on selective media. An initial screening was performed using different orthologous and essential housekeeping genes belonging to the Saccharomyces clade to detect each species through colony polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Following the initial screening, PCR amplification of the internal transcribes spacers (ITS) domain were sequenced by Sanger sequencing and compared for identification. The aim of this study is to collect, isolate, and characterize natural yeast isolates for use in commercial and private fermentations in order to harness aroma and flavor diversity. Future steps involve the processing of these samples for use in the brewing industry. Hybridization with the S. eubayanus species isolated in this study is predicted to give rise to novel lager strains. It has been shown that hybrids have enhanced phenotypes, often surpassing parent strains. For example, hybrid vigor could improve their ability to handle stress from alcohol (late-stage fermentation) or produce higher/lower levels of esters or other chemical compounds. There are many chemical compounds of importance in industrial fermentations that are produced by yeasts, including the chemical families of aldehydes, ketones, alcohol, acids, and esters. The yeast strains captured here show diversity and have the possibility of being future targets for selective breeding and hybridization in a laboratory environment, with the ultimate goal of enhancing their phenotypes for commercial application.
Matthew J. Winans is a Ph.D. student of molecular genetics and toxicology at West Virginia University. He works beside his advisor, Dr. Jennifer Gallagher, as they use Saccharomyces cerevisiae for their model organism. Appalachian Brewer Research is his startup company, which specializes in yeast innovation for brewers. Matt received his B.S. degree in biology from Fairmont State. He is a member of the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) and locally is a leader of the Morgantown Area Society of Homebrewers (MASH). His broad range of specialized experiences gives a unique view to how he tackles obstacles. They range from recent patenting work to conducting underwater marine life transects for local fishermen of Turks and Caicos, to training animals at SeaWorld and Disney’s EPCOT center, to running the sales and operations divisions at a medium-sized cleaning service corporation in the northeast. Looking forward in his career, Matt is searching for employment or a post-doc position focused in brewing science.
View Presentation
