Craft brewing, one could say, is the “yeast” of Matt Bochman’s worries as an assistant professor at IU Bloomington’s Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department.
Although most of his research focuses on the maintenance of genomic integrity — particularly on DNA helicases and other factors involved in how DNA replicates, recombinates and repairs itself — he also delves into the science of fermentation. In fact, his latest research paper, performed in collaboration with Bloomington-based Upland Brewery, addresses the phenomenon of “terminal acid shock” and a method craft brewers can use to overcome the condition.
In addition, Bochman used a pilot grant from the Johnson Center for Innovation and Translational Research to help launch Wild Pitch Yeast LLC, which helps craft brewers and homebrewers extract brewers’ yeasts from such sources as berries, flowers and tree bark.
It also “banks” yeast strains for future use. So far the company has collected about 300 strains from such states as Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas and California — and countries such as Belgium and Italy.
“We’ve had people send in stuff from everywhere. The home brewers are especially creative … we’ve had people send in their hair, the soupy contents of puddles from beer spills, the spent grains left over after brewing that typically sit outside in dumpsters after they’re used in the brewing process … plus of course plenty of samples from more traditional sources.”
— Matt Bochman, assistant professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry, IU Bloomington
To read more about Bochman’s latest paper, click here.
To read more about his entrepreneurial efforts, click here.
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