Skip to main content

Forget curing diseases, genetic engineering could keep our beer fresh longer

The big dreams surrounding genetic engineering involve curing deadly diseases, saving the world’s coral reefs, and creating a limitless supply of lifesaving transplant organs. But more important, could it also help keep beer fresher for longer? (Note: Your mileage of “more important” may vary.)

This latter vision is the work of scientists in China. In a recent paper, published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, the scientists describe a new approach to engineering lager yeast so that it retains a stable flavor for longer. It means that, potentially, bottled beers could avoid picking up the “stale” flavor that they currently do within a year of being bottled.

Recommended Videos

Their approach involves modifying lager yeast so that it produces more of a molecule called NADH, which boosts the activities of natural yeast enzymes. They were able to identify four genes that increased NADH levels. The results produced up to 47% fewer aldehydes, an organic compound that is formed by the oxidation of alcohols. It also produced more sulfur dioxide, an antioxidant which protects beer against going stale. Flavors were changed only marginally, although hopefully this could be accounted for if this technique is ever commercialized. The beer’s fragrance was unchanged.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“Flavor stability is a significant concern to brewers as the staling compounds impart unpleasant flavor to beer,” the researchers write in their paper’s abstract. “Thus, yeasts with anti-staling ability have been engineered to produce beer with improved flavor stability. Here, we proposed that increasing the NADH availability of yeast could improve the flavor stability of beer. By engineering endogenous pathways, we obtained an array of yeast strains with higher reducing activity. Then we carried out beer fermentation with these strains and found that the anti-staling capacities of the beer samples were improved.”

It’s not clear whether the researchers plan to market this approach. If they do, it could result in beer that enjoys a longer shelf life without going bad. It still won’t mean beer that improves over time like wine. But it’s certainly a step (make that a hops) in the right direction.

The paper describing the work is titled “Higher NADH availability of lager yeast increases the flavor stability of beer.

Luke Dormehl
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Hyundai Ioniq 5 sets world record for greatest altitude change
hyundai ioniq 5 world record altitude change mk02 detail kv

When the Guinness World Records (GWR) book was launched in 1955, the idea was to compile facts and figures that could finally settle often endless arguments in the U.K.’s many pubs.

It quickly evolved into a yearly compilation of world records, big and small, including last year's largest grilled cheese sandwich in the world.

Read more
Global EV sales expected to rise 30% in 2025, S&P Global says
ev sales up 30 percent 2025 byd sealion 7 1stbanner l

While trade wars, tariffs, and wavering subsidies are very much in the cards for the auto industry in 2025, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are still expected to rise substantially next year, according to S&P Global Mobility.

"2025 is shaping up to be ultra-challenging for the auto industry, as key regional demand factors limit demand potential and the new U.S. administration adds fresh uncertainty from day one," says Colin Couchman, executive director of global light vehicle forecasting for S&P Global Mobility.

Read more
Faraday Future could unveil lowest-priced EV yet at CES 2025
Faraday Future FF 91

Given existing tariffs and what’s in store from the Trump administration, you’d be forgiven for thinking the global race toward lower electric vehicle (EV) prices will not reach U.S. shores in 2025.

After all, Chinese manufacturers, who sell the least expensive EVs globally, have shelved plans to enter the U.S. market after 100% tariffs were imposed on China-made EVs in September.

Read more