ScienceDaily — A new species of yeast has been discovered deep in the Amazon jungle. In a paper published on-line in FEMS Yeast Research, IFR scientists and colleagues from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador describe the novel characteristics of Candida carvajalis sp. nov.

Yeasts have long been the powerhouses of our food and fermentation industries. Each new species adds to our knowledge of the yeast gene pool and even small genetic differences have the potential for major economic impact. Furthermore, as oil reserves diminish, the race is on to find novel varieties for use in sustainable biofuel production.

Yeast production is a multi-billion dollar industry for brewing, baking, biofuel production, probiotics, and medical applications.

Dr Steve James said “It’s a race against time. We know that massive loss of species diversity is occurring worldwide. Our colleagues in Ecuador appreciate the importance of collecting, characterising and subsequently preserving what remains.

Sumber : Science Daily

Informasi lengkap dapat diakses di :  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521084717.htm

Photo :  Javier Carvajal collecting yeast samples in Ecuador. (Credit: Image courtesy of Institute of Food Research)