If you are a beer drinker, it might surprise you to learn how much water goes into one pint of beer. About 11 gallons just for the hops alone.
But there’s a scientist named Charles Denby who wants to replace those hops with genetically engineered yeast. And he’s doing this because he wants to make beer more climate-friendly.
“I’m really interested in making an impact on the process,” said Denby, “and if that means that we can cut out trillions of liters of water that’s used on hop agriculture every year, that’s really the pie-in-the-sky goal for me.”
Denby wants to replace hops because the crop is vulnerable to climate change.
Most of the nation’s hops, and many of California’s hops, are grown in the Yakima Valley in the state of Washington. And that area is expected to have less water because of higher temperatures and intense drought.
The challenge for Denby is creating yeast that tastes hoppy enough.
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His yeast is made with the genes from mint and basil plants. He combined these genes with yeast DNA, then mixed them with yeast cells. He’s hoping this process will lead to some interesting flavors.
Read full, original post: Would You Drink Beer Made With GMO Yeast To Conserve Water?
