Interesting article. How long till homebrewers are doing genetic design on their yeasts? Anyone have good ideas of genes to modify?
This Biohacker Wants to Spur a Genetic Engineering Revolution With Glowing Beer
http://gizmodo.com/this-biohacker-wa…evo-1789759826
I feel like I read about this every few months. I guess there’s a lot of potential profit engineering yeast. If you could get the flavor of saison yeast with the attenuation of London Ale III you could do well making NEPA/IPA.
Right now I would say there is an equal, and possibly larger, market for wild yeast and natural manipulation of yeast (selection, sexual reproduction) left to explore that isn’t going to enrage people about genetic modification.
glowing beer is the definition of gimmicky. Why not focus on improving yeast flavor and performance characteristics instead? Hell, if you could somehow make the DuPont strain less finicky and prone to stalling, I imagine homebrewers and professionals alike would be throwing money at you 
So I am an old engineer, how is this genetic modification? No gene splicing involved, so how does this qualify?
some brewpub down the way from me has beer with what looks like glitter in it on tap. who wants to drink beer that glows or glitters?
Which brings up the question, “Will that make your urine glow or glitter?”
Glowing would come in handy at night. Just saying.
Glitter might sting a bit
Craft beer has officially jumped the shark. Just stupid. Probably an imperial raspberry chipotle pumpkin IPA.
yup. I just don’t get it.
I think the article may have oversimplified in saying the kit inserts the fluorescent protein, when it actually inserts the gene to make the protein, presumably in the form of a plasmid rather than DNA spliced into the yeast genome.
I don’t think glowing green beer will catch on. However, genetically modified yeast strains that can manufacture organic compounds of economic interest, such as heroin, are probably not far away. It’s a grim thought that drug dealers may soon be able to manufacture very dangerous stuff simply by brewing with yeast.
imperial raspberry chipotle pumpkin IPA…is that NW or NE ?
Might look a little funny the morning after too.
Both. The NEIRCPIPA is quite a bit hazier, though. And juicier. 
I’m a bit of a traditionalist so I prefer the NWIRCPIPA and think the NEIRCPIPA is just a passing fad.
Research into genetic modification of yeast is happening, but requires advanced knowledge that is beyond the capability of most who have not earned advanced degrees in genetics and biochemistry. Unfortunately, it’s more than an afternoon’s project.
In fact, S. cerevisae was the first organism whose complete genome was determined. It has in excess of 5,000 genes. As a model laboratory organism, S. cerevisae has been extensively studied to learn about metabolic and other basic cellular processes that are common to all eucaryotic cells with broad application to human medical knowledge.
At the University of Leuven in Belgium, Kevin Verstrepen heads a group of scientists doing extensive research into yeasts of various types including ale and lager yeasts. More than 30,000 strains of yeasts are found in the lab’s freezers. For more info read the article below.
http://www.nature.com/news/tapping-genetics-for-better-beer-1.20336
Because of the unfounded fears of GMOs, a lot of their clients prefer to remain “under the radar”, but the companies mentioned in the article included AB InBev, White Labs, Orval, and New Belgium.
The end result will be better brews and probably some exotic flavors.
Cheers!