The scientific aims of the project are:
1. The characterization of yeasts isolated from wild environments close to Oslo.
2. The phenotypic characterization of yeast isolated from Kveik beer fermentations.
The educational aims of the project are:
1. Learn the microbial methods to isolate pure cultures of wild/industrial yeasts and the molecular and bioinformatic tools to identify them.
2. Learn the methods to phenotype yeasts.
3. Learn to valorize the potential biotechnological application of the isolated yeasts.
Background
-Wild yeasts for industrial challenges
In the early times of civilization, yeasts had been the answer to fulfill human necessities by performing multiple industrial processes (Figure 1): i) animal/human feed; ii) biofertilizers; iii) pharmaceutical; iv) biosensor; v) biofactories; vi) bioremediation; vi) biological control; vii) fermented food (bread, sausages, dairy products, sourdough, soy souce) and alcoholic beverages; viii) cosmetics.
Despite the high number of known yeast species, estimates suggest that around 99% of yeast species are still unknown. Hence, there may exist around 150 thousand yeasts species on earth. One-third of the described yeast species are based on a single strain, or they were isolated from industrial environments.
-Kveik yeasts, a Norwegian treasure
One of the most successful yeasts in the industry has been Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as the baker yeast. S. cerevisiae has been domesticated from wild environments for the production of wine, sake, traditional beverages, among other alcoholic beverages. The fermentative power of S. cerevisiae is applied to convert single or complex sugars to valuable compounds, such as bioethanol, trying to substitute fossil fuels. One of the areas where this yeast has been more successful is beer fermentation. There are different groups of brewing yeast depending of the type of beer being produced. Four years ago, a great discovery was unraveled. In farmhouses of Norway, a traditional fermented beer is conducted by a new lineage of S. cerevisiae, which was called Kveik (the norwegian designation for yeasts). This beer is arising as a national treasure and you might find different styles in Vinmonopolet. The most interesting is that this new yeast has phenotypic singularities that is attracting the industry.
-Societal challenge
As climatic change and human population growth continue the food industry, the sustainability of processes and lifestyle are under threat. In addition, well-established fermentative processes are seeing how their industrial yeasts are not useful anymore because they cannot tolerate the new properties of raw material (wheat, grapes, etc), modified by the effects of global warming. To find new solutions, we need new yeasts with new phenotypic properties. This project is a good opportunity to start to isolate new yeasts species, characterize the yeast biodiversity close to Oslo, as well as from Kveik fermentations. And maybe find the new industrial yeasts for generating a circular bioeconomy and sustainable food systems
Outcomes
Financing
UiO:Life Sciences
References
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