Designing DNA Circuits To Brew Tastier Beer 135
Al writes "Researchers at Boston University have developed a way to predict the behavior of different DNA segments and make synthetic biology a little bit more reliable. James Collins and colleagues have built libraries of component parts and a mathematical modeling system to help them predict the behavior of parts of a gene network. Like any self-respected bunch of grad students, they decided to demonstrate the approach by making beer. They engineered gene promoters to control when flocculation occurs in brewers yeast, which allowed them to finely control the flavor of the resulting beer."
True application of science (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Purity (Score:5, Insightful)
Which brings us full circle (Score:5, Insightful)
All other science to this point has solely been done as groundwork for better tasting beer.
Which brings us full circle, since the development of agriculture (which led to the sedentary lifestyle, food surplus, and a leisure class with the time and resources to "do science") is believed (by some anthropologists) to have been primarily motivated by a desire to raise more grain for feeding to yeast in order to make beer (and, incidentally, bread).
What's the point of applied science? (Score:5, Insightful)
Applied Science AKA "Engineering" exists to make life better. Air conditioning, blogging, better tasting beer. If not to make life just that little bit better, than for what?
Sure, there are starving people in XYZ country, but they are starving precisely because they are NOT using engineering to make their lives better! Sure, you could donate the cost of that better-tasting beer and feed the starving kid for a few days... but then what?
Feel free to donate to 3rd world countries (I do) but when you do, don't just throw money/food at them, donate your money towards programs that will improve their infrastructure. Things like education. (I personally sponsor to help aschool for kids in rural Haiti)
And don't hesitate to enjoy that good-tasting franken-beer!
Re:Purity (Score:3, Insightful)
Anyone who thinks German brewers adhere to that these days needs their head testing.
Go to Germany, look in the beer shops/bars, see Beer+orange or beer+cola to see just how far off the frigging Rheinheitsgebot modern German brewers actually are. It's utter tosh.
Disclaimer: My bird is German, my nipper half German, and I drink Haake Beck when I'm there. She drinks Becks+Orange. Yuck.
Flocculation != flavor (Score:1, Insightful)
Didn't read the article.
I'm not sure how flocculation affects the flavor of the beer. Most of the flavor components in beer due to yeast are a result of the yeast digesting the sugars (and other various chemicals in the wort).
It's been well known for for quite some time that some strains of brewers yeast flocculate more than others (Thames valley I'm looking at you).
And besides...better beer? It's all in personal preference. Some people love crazy belgian beers (YAY) for their odd flavors (hint...it's the yeast). Some people prefer american style ales (lots of 'C' hops and NO yeast flavor).
I need a beer.
Re:How the liquor biz really works (Score:4, Insightful)
And this has to do with beer production exactly how?
Sure the big beer producers do something very similar...fast fermenting yeast to produce ethanol, add flavor and coloring to make it taste like bubbly yellow piss.
However, there are many many microbreweries across the US and Canada that still brew beer basically the old fashioned way. It's just unfortunate that the typical North American still prefers the crap the big breweries produce.
Re:Purity (Score:3, Insightful)
And yeasts have been cultured for a more predictable fermentation since it was discovered to be possible. Is the preservation of a certain yeast strain considered genetic manipulation? It would otherwise have drifted on and/or been replaced by a more aggressive yeast.
In other news, most of the vines for wine grapes have been transplanted onto north american roots due to a blight that started in the 1850's [wikipedia.org]. To this day there are very few areas where vines can be grown on their original roots, Chile being one of the largest, and certain valleys in Australia. Not many vines with roots that can resist the blight produce desired grapes for wine either.
So botanical and microbial modifications are hardly new to the production of alcohol, it would be surprising if barley and hops weren't already genetically modified for yield, resilience, and/or flavor, just like many food crops are.
Re:this is very exciting (Score:3, Insightful)
You're being silly - the flavor profiles of stout and porter (and many other beers, particularly dark one, for that matter) are derived almost exclusively from the malts used. Yeast can't make porter crisp and light, and even if it could it would then be a pale ale rather than a porter.