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Designing DNA Circuits To Brew Tastier Beer
Al writes "Researchers at Boston University have developed a way to predict the behavior of different DNA segments and make synthetic biology a little bit more reliable. James Collins and colleagues have built libraries of component parts and a mathematical modeling system to help them predict the behavior of parts of a gene network. Like any self-respected bunch of grad students, they decided to demonstrate the approach by making beer. They engineered gene promoters to control when flocculation occurs in brewers yeast, which allowed them to finely control the flavor of the resulting beer."
All other science to this point has solely been done as groundwork for better tasting beer.
The musings of just another geek and his junk.
Being that the Reinheitsgebot doesn't even mention yeast (as its existence and role in fermentation were unknown in 1516), I'd have to say "yes".
Momentarily, the need for the construction of new light will no longer exist.
All other science to this point has solely been done as groundwork for better tasting beer.
Which brings us full circle, since the development of agriculture (which led to the sedentary lifestyle, food surplus, and a leisure class with the time and resources to "do science") is believed (by some anthropologists) to have been primarily motivated by a desire to raise more grain for feeding to yeast in order to make beer (and, incidentally, bread).
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
Applied Science AKA "Engineering" exists to make life better. Air conditioning, blogging, better tasting beer. If not to make life just that little bit better, than for what?
Sure, there are starving people in XYZ country, but they are starving precisely because they are NOT using engineering to make their lives better! Sure, you could donate the cost of that better-tasting beer and feed the starving kid for a few days... but then what?
Feel free to donate to 3rd world countries (I do) but when you do, don't just throw money/food at them, donate your money towards programs that will improve their infrastructure. Things like education. (I personally sponsor to help aschool for kids in rural Haiti)
And don't hesitate to enjoy that good-tasting franken-beer!
I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
And this has to do with beer production exactly how?
Sure the big beer producers do something very similar...fast fermenting yeast to produce ethanol, add flavor and coloring to make it taste like bubbly yellow piss.
However, there are many many microbreweries across the US and Canada that still brew beer basically the old fashioned way. It's just unfortunate that the typical North American still prefers the crap the big breweries produce.