EAPSI: Exploring Newly Discovered Yeast's Potential Use in Biotechnology

Winans Matthew J, Parkersburg WV

Investigators

Abstract

This research has the potential to advance biotechnology and fermented foods that uses yeast metabolism to produce medicines or other important compounds. The project will characterize a new species of yeast related to the bakers yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae a key member of the biotechnology industrially. This novel species named Saccharomyces arboricola, is only found in South East Asia and few Pacific Islands. This research will be conducted at Saga University under Dr. Hiroshi Kitagaki, a leading researcher on biotechnology and food science in Japan. During the research, the new species will be evaluated for new and expected compounds produced during its metabolism of sugar. Additionally, the new species will be mated with yeasts currently used in industry. Their offspring will be compared with parent yeasts to determine if the mating improves performance of the industrially important yeasts. This project will characterize a novel species of the industrially important Saccharomyces clade, Saccharomyces arobicola. This newly discovered species has at least 4 novel genes and the most complete genome assembly besides the brewer's yeast (Liti, et al., 2013) which may have a significant impact on yeast metabolism and products potentially important in biotechnology including biofuels, biotechnology, and fermented foods. S. arboricola and the future industrial yeast will be used to produce metabolic products in which gas chromatography mass spectroscopy will be utilized. From the Saccharomyces clade, there are seven species and several hybrids of those with S. cerevisiae that are used in industrial fermentations, none of which include this highly divergent species. This research will be conducted at Saga University under Dr. Hiroshi Kitagaki, a leading researcher on biotechnology and food science in Japan. Ultimately, because of the information planned to be gained in this research, the Saccharomyces clade as a model system will be a more comprehensive tool available for understanding yeast evolution and ecology. This EAPSI award promotes international collaboration as this project is poised for continuation of genomic investigations at the West Virginia University Genomic Core. This award, under the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program ,supports summer research by a U.S. graduate student and is jointly funded by NSF and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.