That’s the entry of some Rice University students to the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition to be held on Nov. 8-9, 2008 at the MIT:an anti-cancer brew.
They got a sample of the yeast from Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewing Company, and they are modifying it with two sets of genes. The first set allows the yeast to metabolize sugars and excrete an intermediate chemical that the second set can later convert into resveratrol.
I get the resveratrol part; this compound has repeatedly been shown to reduce risks of cardiovascular disease. What I don’t get is, why beer? Why go through …read more