Participate in Science and donate a yeast.

Yeast is a type of fungus that has been used for centuries in brewing alcoholic drinks - such as beer and wine - and in baking. The term "yeast" is often taken as a synonym for the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but actually, it encompasses a large group of fungal species, each showing different behaviors. The yeast species S. cerevisiae converts carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and alcohol in a process known as fermentation. The carbon dioxide bubbles make the dough rise, and the alcohol, well, turns beer into actual beer. In the last three decades, many domesticated strains of S. cerevisiae and related species have developed a second successful career: In biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry, they were turned into genetically engineered drug factories that produce pharmaceuticals like human insulin.

We are used to buying yeast as a packaged powder in the supermarket but many people may not realize it, yeasts are everywhere. They’re in the air we breathe; in plants, flowers, fruits, and soil; and even on our skin. Often yeasts have natural capabilities that go beyond helping us to bake bread. For example, they can produce antibiotics and antifungals that have the potential to be used as new therapeutics or natural pesticides for crops. We just need to find and study them!

If you want to know what your local yeasts can do, consider catching one and sending it to us. Alternatively, you can send us a piece of your sourdough starter, an apple, or a flower from your garden! We will then isolate the yeast that lives in that sample, determine its genetic identity, and test it for its potential antifungal properties.

We respect the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing of bio-resources and can only process samples from the Netherlands

INTERESTED IN DONATING A YEAST? - REACH US

Currently, our collection has more than 700 wild yeast isolates.

Several of them were isolated by bachelor students from the University of Groningen.