Skip to main content

In the not so distant future, your antibiotics and beer might both contain hops

As the craft beer craze storms to every corner of America and beyond, scientists at the University of Idaho have been hard at work using hops in a vastly different way: to manufacture a new variety of antibiotic. Presenting at an American Chemical Society meeting in San Diego, California this week, Kristopher Waynant, Ph.D., and undergraduate student Lucas Sass announced they are attempting to synthesize hops’ healthier components. If successful, the breakthrough would allow someone to create medicine utilizing those beneficial compounds without eliciting them from plants.

During the presentation, Waynant and Sass say they intend to focus on synthesizing two separate acids from the hops in humulones and lupulones. An alpha acid, humulones are known to boast anti-inflammatory and anticancer characteristics and are responsible for a beer’s bitter taste. Lupulones, on the other hand, are a beta acid which are thought to be as equally important but very little is known of its exact biological effects. It’s believed that a combination of the two would form a viable antibiotic capable of improving one’s health.

Recommended Videos

Unfortunately, extracting these exact chemicals is much easier said than done. The duo theorizes they’ll be able to accomplish the task by using high-performance liquid chromatography to separate the two acids; however, analytical standards of this kind do not yet exist. Because of this, Waynant and Sass plan on manufacturing a library of analytical standards themselves by attempting to produce humulone and lupulones in a lab.

Humulone acids are responsible for a beer's bitterness and boast antibiotic properties
Humulone acids are responsible for a beer’s bitterness and boast antibiotic properties Angor1975 / 123RF

“When researchers extract healthful chemicals from hops, they first have to determine whether they have separated out the specific compounds they’re interested in,” Waynant said at the meeting. “But if you can figure out how to make these compounds from scratch, you know they are the right ones.”

Waynant’s process for manufacturing the acids in lab begins with a commercially available plant compound called phloroglucinol. To date, the two have successfully found a way to synthesize three different types of humulones but admit they are still working to find a more efficient way of conversion. However, Waynant feels they are incredibly close to settling on a final method that would consistently manufacture humulones.

“It’s been a lot of trial and error,” Sass pointed out. “But it’s so exciting when an approach finally works.”

Moving forward, Waynant says he hopes to partner with biologists and medical researchers to create hop compound drugs capable of treating various cancers and inflammatory diseases. Though finding a way to use the hop flower as a means of curing disease isn’t relatively new, Waynant and Sass’ approach to synthesizing it have brought it closer to a reality than ever before.

Rick Stella
Former Associate Editor, Outdoor
Rick became enamored with technology the moment his parents got him an original NES for Christmas in 1991. And as they say…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more