Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been widely used by humans for
thousands of years and is arguably one of the most important microbial
species in human history. Archaeologists have found evidence for the
production of a fermented beverage in China at 7000 BC, and of wine
in Iran and Egypt at 6000 BC and 3000 BC.
Archaeological evidence of brewing activity was found on Sumerian
tablets dating to about 1800 BC although the origins may well go back to
around 10 000 years ago. The text found on these tablets sings the
praises of the Sumerian goddess of brewing in the ‘Hymn to Ninkasi’.
Since that time, mankind has discovered that the goddess that caused the
‘magic’ is in fact the living organism, yeast. Ancient brewers
domesticated yeast due to selection of the best fermentation agent.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a robust yeast that is capable of
withstanding stressful conditions and has a high fermentation
efficiency, rapid growth, effective sugar use, the ability to produce
and consume ethanol, tolerance of high ethanol concentrations and
low levels of oxygen, osmotolerance, thermotolerance, and cell
activity in acidic environments, which are fundamental to its industrial
use-fullness.
The genus and species names, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also can
be traced to earlier origins. Saccharomyces means sugar mold or fungus
and cerevisiae has its origin in the Gaelic word kerevigia and the old
French word cervoise.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek described yeast in 1680 with the aid of handmade
wax globules, whereas Charles Cagniard de la Tour reported in 1838
that yeast was responsible for alcoholic fermentation. By the end of the
19th century, improved strains were selected by the use of pure culture
technique.
Whilst it is also useful for raising bread, producing fuel, and
expressing desirable engineered proteins, it was the demand for
alcoholic beverages that motivated the scientific study of yeast by
Pasteur (1897) and the Carlsberg Research Laboratories (1896). Since
then Saccharomyces cerevisiae has achieved a second distinction: it is the best understood genetic model organism. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was the first eukaryote to have its genome completely sequenced.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Food History is a resource for anybody interested in food history. Articles exploring various issues of food history will be featured regularly. Learning food history means that cultural study which involves multidisciplinary approaches from economics, sociology and demography, and even literature.
Monday, October 07, 2019
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