Brewers’ yeast can make new fibres – study

UNIVERSITY PARK – The leftover yeast from brewing beer or wine or making some pharmaceuticals could be repurposed to produce high-performance fibres stronger than natural fibres and with significantly less environmental impact, according to a new study led by researchers at Pennsylvania State University.

The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, notes that the yeast biomass – composed of proteins, fatty molecules called lipids and sugars – left over from alcohol and pharmaceutical production is regarded as waste.