Selecting and generating superior yeasts for the brewing industry

Steensels, Jan; Snoek, Tim; Meersman, Esther; Nicolino, Martina Picca; Aslankoohi, Elham; Christiaens, Joaquin; Gemayel, Rita; Meert, Wim; New, Aaron M.; Pougach, Ksenia; Saels, Veerle; Zande, Elisa van der; Voordeckers, Karin; Verstrepen, Kevin J.

doi:10.1016/j.cervis.2012.08.001

Cited by 14 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…This practice is very similar to the common ‘selective breeding’ (or ‘artificial selection’) encountered in, for example, agriculture. This technique has been used by humans for thousands of years, for example by farmers who intuitively chose superior plants from their cultivations or animals from their stock to crossbreed in order to obtain crops or livestock with desired traits (Chambers et al ., 2009; Steensels et al ., 2012). Similarly, the close association of S. cerevisiae with human activities has led to the so-called domestication of this species, resulting in an organism that excels in its industrial task, but performs suboptimal in most other, more ‘natural’ environments (Fay & Benavides, 2005; Liti et al ., 2009; Sicard & Legras, 2011).…”

Section: Natural and Artificial Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving industrial yeast strains: exploiting natural and artificial diversity

Steensels¹,

Snoek²,

Meersman³

et al. 2014

FEMS Microbiol Rev

Self Cite

380

288

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Yeasts have been used for thousands of years to make fermented foods and beverages, such as beer, wine, sake, and bread. However, the choice for a particular yeast strain or species for a specific industrial application is often based on historical, rather than scientific grounds. Moreover, new biotechnological yeast applications, such as the production of second-generation biofuels, confront yeast with environments and challenges that differ from those encountered in traditional food fermentations. Together, this implies that there are interesting opportunities to isolate or generate yeast variants that perform better than the currently used strains. Here, we discuss the different strategies of strain selection and improvement available for both conventional and nonconventional yeasts. Exploiting the existing natural diversity and using techniques such as mutagenesis, protoplast fusion, breeding, genome shuffling and directed evolution to generate artificial diversity, or the use of genetic modification strategies to alter traits in a more targeted way, have led to the selection of superior industrial yeasts. Furthermore, recent technological advances allowed the development of high-throughput techniques, such as ‘global transcription machinery engineering’ (gTME), to induce genetic variation, providing a new source of yeast genetic diversity.

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Section: Natural and Artificial Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving industrial yeast strains: exploiting natural and artificial diversity

Steensels¹,

Snoek²,

Meersman³

et al. 2014

FEMS Microbiol Rev

Self Cite

380

288

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In terms of non-Saccharomyces there is very little knowledge of the fermentation parameters and produced aromas and flavours (2). Because of their potential for commercial viability, brewers and researchers have started to search for new yeasts in different environments using different techniques (18). However, despite our poor understanding of these characteristics for non-Saccharomyces yeasts, which can have a greater variation than Saccharomyces yeasts, there are many opportunities for brewers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Pure non‐Saccharomycesstarter cultures for beer fermentation with a focus on secondary metabolites and practical applications

et al. 2016

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Recently there has been increased interest in using non‐Saccharomyces yeasts to ferment beer. The worldwide growth of craft beer and microbreweries has revitalised the use of different yeast strains with a pronounced impact on aroma and flavour. Using non‐conventional yeast gives brewers a unique selling point to differentiate themselves. Belgian brewers have been very successful in using wild yeasts and mixed fermentations that often contain non‐Saccharomyces yeasts. Historically, ancient beers and beers produced before the domestication of commonly used Saccharomyces strains most likely included non‐Saccharomyces species. Given the renewed interest in using non‐Saccharomyces yeasts to brew traditional beers and their potential application to produce low‐alcohol or alcohol‐free beer, the fermentation and flavour characteristics of different species of non‐Saccharomyces pure culture yeast were screened for brewing potential (Brettanomyces anomalus and bruxellensis, Candida tropicalis and shehatae, Saccharomycodes ludwigii, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Pichia kluyveri, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii). Alcohol‐free beer is already industrially produced using S. ludwigii, a maltose‐negative species, which is a good example of the introduction of non‐Saccharomyces yeast to breweries. Overall, non‐Saccharomyces yeasts represent a large resource of biodiversity for the production of new beers and have the potential for wider application to other beverage and industrial applications. Almost all of the trials reviewed were conducted with varying fermentation parameters, which plays an important role in the outcome of the studies. To understand these impacts all trials were described with their major fermentation parameters. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling

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“…However, our choice of these yeasts from the thousands of possible yeasts with which we might partner was probably not a conscious one. We are a species of yeast disperser that has inadvertently become too specialized [114]. There is a need, for example, for stresstolerant yeast species [92] able to use diverse substrates (such as pentoses, hexoses and lignocellulosic feedstocks [115]), modify food and beverage flavours [116,117], generate perfumes [93], and produce antibiotics, probiotics [118] and plant fungicides [119].…”

Section: Consequences For Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecology of insect–yeast relationships and its relevance to human industry

et al. 2018

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Many species of yeast are integral to human society. They produce many of our foods, beverages and industrial chemicals, challenge us as pathogens, and provide models for the study of our own biology. However, few species are regularly studied and much of their ecology remains unclear, hindering the development of knowledge that is needed to improve the relationships between humans and yeasts. There is increasing evidence that insects are an essential component of ascomycetous yeast ecology. We propose a 'dispersal-encounter hypothesis' whereby yeasts are dispersed by insects between ephemeral, spatially disparate sugar resources, and insects, in turn, obtain the benefits of an honest signal from yeasts for the sugar resources. We review the relationship between yeasts and insects through three main examples: social wasps, social bees and beetles, with some additional examples from fruit flies. Ultimately, we suggest that over the next decades, consideration of these ecological and evolutionary relationships between insects and yeasts will allow prediction of where new yeast diversity is most likely to be discovered, particularly yeasts with traits of interest to human industry.

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Selecting and generating superior yeasts for the brewing industry

Cited by 14 publications

References 24 publications

Improving industrial yeast strains: exploiting natural and artificial diversity

Improving industrial yeast strains: exploiting natural and artificial diversity

Review: Pure non‐Saccharomycesstarter cultures for beer fermentation with a focus on secondary metabolites and practical applications

The ecology of insect–yeast relationships and its relevance to human industry

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