The human being has been fermenting beer since time. In spite of this there is always a place for innovation and, probably the “recipe” created by microbiologists from the University of Cardiff, in Wales, is not precedent in the history of mankind.
Bee-r. A team of researchers has created beer using a type of yeast found in the so -called “Killer Bees of Namibia.” The yeast in question (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) It was extracted from specimens of this bee that had died due to natural causes, and then used for the fermentation process from which beer is created.
The origin of the idea was on the visit of the British team to the University of Namibia. During the trip, they explain from the Unviersidad de Cardiff, the team was interested in these bees. “When we arrive back to Cardiff, we use the isolated yeast from the murderous bees, next to yeast extracted from Welsh bees, to create several beer remittances,” says Les Baillie, professor of microbiology at the Welsh center.
The “murderous bees”. The so -called “murderous bees” are also known by the least threatening name of Africanized holiferous bees. It is a hybrid subspecies of the common bee (Apis mellifera), which results from the hybridization of other subspecies of this common insect. The name of murderer is due to the aggressiveness of these bees with whom they consider a threat: these bees attack in large numbers which increases the risk of encounters that are fatal.
What do you know? The yeast S. Cerevisiae It is (as its name suggests) a yeast commonly used in the manufacture of beer so, apart from the singular of its origin, beer would not be special. However, we will not have to contrast that fact by our own means.
This beer, its creators explain, seeks to combine the knowledge of the equipment in microbiology to bring it to bees related to “to produce something unique”. Now, it’s time to climb the process, looking for some winery willing to take this “recipe” to the market. This could also serve to economically promote this type of research.
“Our killer beer is a complementary project in our Pharmabees study. Our study is showing how honey, wax and other bees products can play a role in solving some of the greatest world challenges, including resistance to antibiotics and superbacteria,” Baillie added.
Pharmabees. Within the Pharmabees project, various actions focused on exploring, for example, how the pollination of certain plants can help us in the fight against superbacteria are registered. To do this, the team installed various hives in the university environment, accompanied by specific plants that, in principle, could lead to bees to create new types of honey and other products.
The idea highlights the importance of these insects, not only because of their role in ecosystems but also because of their potential capacity to help synthesize certain compounds. Compounds that, who knows, could one day use for the most surprising purposes.
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Image | Scott Bauer, Usda Agricultural Research Service / Bence Boros
