This article was taken from the November 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
At White Labs in San Diego, technicians work to reanimate cryogenically frozen single-celled organisms. Their quest: to unravel the genetics behind the more than 500 flavour and aroma compounds found in beers.
Yeast has been brewed for millennia but scientists have only now begun to learn how genetics affects the resulting beverage.
White Labs and biotech firm Illumina have sequenced 96 strains, looking for clues as to why, say, some give saison ale fruity notes whereas others lend the same recipe a clove aroma.
Still don't think yeasts make a difference? White Labs has a tasting room to convince unbelievers. "You can tell people,'That's the same beer,'" says founder Chris White. "You see the look on their faces, like, 'Wow, you must have added some spice or herbs or something in this beer.' But that's all from yeast."
The next round of sequencing includes the yeast Brettanomyces, known for nefarious aromas (think bandages or sweat) that can be either contaminants or the masters of funk in Belgian lambics. See you at the bar.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
