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A brewer's tale of proteins and beer

Date:
March 14, 2018
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
The transformation of barley grains into beer is an old story, typically starring water, yeast and hops. Now scientists are highlighting another character in this tale: proteins. The results could someday lead to a better, tastier brew.
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FULL STORY

The transformation of barley grains into beer is an old story, typically starring water, yeast and hops. Now, in a report in the Journal of Proteome Research, scientists are highlighting another character in this tale: proteins. The results could someday lead to a better, tastier brew.

Many proteins in beer come from the barley or yeast used to make it, and these proteins influence a brew's properties, including its flavor and foaminess. The protein profile of a beer depends on how it was produced, a complex multistep process with a murky biochemical underpinning. So, Benjamin L. Schulz, Glen P. Fox, Claudia E. Vickers and colleagues wanted to assess the full protein profile of beer over the course of production, seeking molecular beer brewing insights.

The researchers' tool of choice for probing the beer-making process was mass spectrometry, which can identify proteins based on weight. They brewed a tiny mug's worth of beer, taking samples at three stages of production for analysis: sweet wort, hopped wort and bright beer. Mass spectrometry of the samples revealed over 200 unique proteins from barley and yeast, with large changes in their relative abundance and appearance at different production steps. The researchers say that future work will focus on how the identified proteins control the flavor, bubbles and quality of beer, and how protein content could be tweaked to produce a better pint.

The authors acknowledge funding from the University of Queensland Collaboration and Industry Engagement fund, the Wright Biomedical Career Development Fellowship and the Queensland Government Accelerate Fellowship.


Story Source:

Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Benjamin L. Schulz, Toan K. Phung, Michele Bruschi, Agnieszka Janusz, Jeff Stewart, John Meehan, Peter Healy, Amanda S. Nouwens, Glen P. Fox, Claudia E. Vickers. Process Proteomics of Beer Reveals a Dynamic Proteome with Extensive Modifications. Journal of Proteome Research, 2018; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00907

Cite This Page:

American Chemical Society. "A brewer's tale of proteins and beer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 March 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180314110955.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2018, March 14). A brewer's tale of proteins and beer. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 12, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180314110955.htm
American Chemical Society. "A brewer's tale of proteins and beer." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180314110955.htm (accessed October 12, 2024).

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