Analysis of the molecular mechanisms involved in the adaptation of wine yeasts to the adverse conditions typical of fermentation and production of active dry wine yeast.
The group consists of two researchers from the University of Valencia, Doctors Agustín Aranda and Emilia Matallana, who are also part of the extended scientific senate of the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology of the CSIC, where their laboratory is located.
Dr. Aranda has been a researcher for more than 15 years during which he worked on various aspects of transcriptional regulation in yeast. From 2000 onwards, coinciding with his incorporation as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, his research has focused on the Molecular Biology of wine yeasts, on stress response mechanisms that are relevant during the winemaking process. In particular he has characterised the stress response to acetaldehyde and its relation to the efficiency of the strains of the flor of Sherry wine. He has also conducted studies on its relation to sulfur metabolism and as begun molecular analysis of tolerance to ethanol.
Dr. Matallana has over 20 years of research experience in Molecular Biology of yeasts. Since 1995, her research has been directed towards studies applied to the genetic improvement of wine yeasts based both on changes in metabolic fluxes of glucose and certain amino acids and on the modification of the accumulation of glycogen and trehalose and its relation to resistance to stress.
Recently her work has concentrated on molecular and biochemical aspects focused on the study and improvement of stress response mechanisms that are relevant for the industrial production of active dry wine yeast.
