Researchers in the United Kingdom are building a chromosome as part of a collaboration of international scientists to create synthetic yeast.
Yeast is commonly used in all sorts of products we buy.
Researchers in the United Kingdom are building a chromosome as part of a collaboration of international scientists to create synthetic yeast.
This is the first time an artificial chromosome has been used to make yeast, and it is hope the project will be completed by 2017.
This new development is a significant step forward in synthetic biology, because yeast is such a complex cell to create.
In the future, scientist might be able to create strains of yeast with properties that are impossible to get naturally.
The new strains of yeast that the experiment produces might be used to make things like biofuels, chemicals, or vaccines.
Researchers also hope that the new strains of yeast could be used to make stronger and cheaper beer.
Paul Freemont, from Imperial College London said: “The brewing industry is very interested in this project for any new opportunities it may present as they use yeast to manufacture beer. One of the aims of the project is to develop this yeast strain as a vehicle that you can put in new chemical pathways and directly manipulate it in a way that is not possible at the moment.”
