Yeast tampering - good thing or bad? Discuss.

[codewritinfool]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/nlmc-ssf032414.php

[brewinhard]

Hey if they can genetically engineer brewers yeast to not produce off flavors like diacetyl, acetaldehyde, and sulfur during fermentation then I am all for it!

[Bad Goat Brewing]

If someone started selling modified beer yeast I'd give it shot.

[BDawg]

what happens if it goes the other way?
Yeast infections from hell????

[Ozwald]

what happens if it goes the other way?
Yeast infections from hell????

Just don't get them drunk after midnight.

[peas_and_corn]

Hey if they can genetically engineer brewers yeast to not produce off flavors like diacetyl, acetaldehyde, and sulfur during fermentation then I am all for it!

Considering acetaldehyde the the precursor to ethanol I would like the yeast to keep making it Just not after it's finished making alcohol.

[Bobbie Dooley]

I'm confused about this as it pertains to brewing. What they've done is way harder than the way we've been able to manipulate yeast genes for over 25 years. If we wanted to modify yeast genes for brewing we could have done it decades ago. That's one of the biggest reason scientists like brewer's yeast, you can fuck with its genome really easily.

This technique is part of the baby steps towards being able to synthetically create entirely new types of life on this planet. If the machines don't kill us first, those things probably will.