The Awesome Power of Yeast – Lecture by Gregory Lang

Long before we knew what microbes were, humans have been using yeast to ferment foods. Today we know that this incredible organism is essential to the production of beer, wine, bread, and other fermented foods. In this talk, Dr. Gregory Lang will tell the story of yeast: how the simple microbe ferments sugars, produces alcohol, and creates the complex flavors and aromas that distinguish one beer from another. Dr. Lang will describe how different yeasts are used to make ales and lagers, and how we select and improve yeast strains to enhance the brewing process. Dr. Lang will also explore a second success story of yeast. Because it is easy to grow, genetically tractable, and shares many basic cellular processes with human cells, the brewer’s yeast became a key model organism for biological research. From breweries to Nobel Prizes, yeast has given us beer… and a better understandingm of life itself.