Researchers find wasps are the key to yeast's ability to survive through winter
Tuesday, July 31, 2012 - 08:02
in Biology & Nature
(Phys.org) -- For over nine thousand years people have been relying on various yeast strains to carry out fermentation of food and drink products resulting in the flavorful breads and alcohol fueled beverages we consume, but until now, no one really knew how it was that the yeast managed to appear on schedule every year to help us out, especially in places where freezing winter temperatures would seem to make that impossible. Now, thanks to new research by a combined team of French and Italian researchers, the answer seems to have been found, and as they write in their paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it appears that we have the wasp to thank.