Cheers to beer and all things yeasty

The 23rd International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology is being held in Melbourne this week, with 500 of the world's top researchers talking all things yeasty.

The conference will focus on Australian and international research that is spread, like Vegemite, across the spectrum of yeast discoveries and applications.

"Researchers are making contributions to basic biology, improved wine and beer, new fuels, and human health through the use of yeast," conference chair Professor Ian Macreadie, of CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies, said.

He said most people were ignorant about the fact that yeast is a wonderful life saving organism that is bringing new hope to all areas from medicine to agriculture to biofuels.

"For instance, the newest vaccine for cervical cancer is produced in yeast, therapeutic antibodies like Herceptin will be produced in yeast and insulin is produced in yeast."

He said basic yeast research in molecular biology and genetics underpins much of the knowledge that we have about the human genome.

Attending the conference will be Sir Paul Nurse, whose Noble Prize was earned by yeast research that applies to human cancer.

Sir Paul and Dr Alex Franzusoff will discuss the importance of yeast in cancer research at an Alfred Deakin Innovation Lecture at 12.30pm this Friday, July 6, at Lower Melbourne Town Hall. Sir Gustav Nossal will facilitate the lecture.

See www.yeast2007.org for a full program.