Industrial yeasts, responsible for biotechnological processes, are highly specialised organisms that have evolved under restrictive environmental conditions in different environments manipulated by humans. Our group is interested in understanding the mechanisms involved in their adaptation, which have shaped the yeast genome conferring them properties of biotechnological interest. Different "omics" approaches and evolutionary analysis are used to understand the mechanisms of adaptation to environmental and nutritional changes (temperature, availability of nitrogen and iron, etc.) of yeasts of industrial interest. This research is applicable to the selection and genetic improvement of new yeast strains of interest in industrial fermentations (wine, beer, cider, etc.) and the production of dietary supplements, by different techniques such as adaptive evolution, hybridisation, or the development of GMOs.
Our working group is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the adaptive processes that have shaped the yeast genome, giving them such peculiar properties of biotechnological interest.
The results of our research are applicable to the following topics of interest to industry:
- Application of molecular techniques for the identification and characterisation of yeasts in fermentation processes (mainly wine and beer).
- Selection of starter cultures for use in alcoholic fermentations.
- Yeast breeding by non-GMO techniques such as directed evolution, intra- and inter-specific hybridisation, as well as breeding by genetic engineering (GMOs). These techniques are being applied to wine and brewing yeast breeding to increase glycerol production, to decrease ethanol yield, to improve tolerance to low temperatures, to improve growth under nitrogen limiting conditions, to improve fermentative aroma production and varietal aroma release.
- Metabolic and gene expression regulation studies related to the molecular mechanisms of stress response in wine yeasts.
- Study of yeasts present in food as potential emerging pathogens: molecular basis of pathogenicity.
- Use of global analysis techniques (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc.) to understand the interaction of genomes.
- Study of interactions between yeasts during industrial fermentations using global analysis techniques.
- Acquisition of new gene functions of adaptive value by gene or genomic duplication or horizontal transfer.
Genetics and genomics of yeasts of biotechnological interest
Analysis of molecular mechanisms involved in the adaptive processes that have shaped the yeast genome, giving them such peculiar properties of biotechnological interest.
Partners
- Javier Alonso del Real Arias - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Madrid)
- Roberto Pérez Torrado - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Madrid)
Burjassot/Paterna Campus
Science ParkC/ Catedrático José Beltrán, 2
46980 Paterna (Valencia)
