Australia: Breakthrough in yeast genome engineering may be game changer for wine sector

Researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, and the Australian Wine Research Institute, working on unique genomic sequences from yeast strains, including those used in wine and sake, have reportedly assembled an entirely new chromosome in a laboratory strain, allowing the laboratory strain to ferment sugars that normally cannot be used.

The research is an extension of a global engineered yeast project, Sc2.0, attempting to synthesise the entire genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has been used in brewing, distilling, winemaking, and baking for thousands of years.