Yeast Biodiversity Research Articles

Biodiversity of Indigenous Saccharomyces Populations from Old Wineries of South-Eastern Sicily (Italy): Preservation and Economic Potential

In recent years, the preservation of biodiversity has become an important issue. Despite much public discussion, however, current practices in the food industry seldom take account of its potential economic importance: on the contrary, the introduction of industrialized agriculture practices over large areas has often resulted in a dramatic reduction in biodiversity.In this paper, we report on the remarkable degree of biodiversity in the wine yeast populations naturally present in a small area of Sicily (Italy) where traditional (non-industrial) winery practices are still in place. Out of more than 900 Saccharomyces yeast isolates recovered from late spontaneous fermentations, we detected at least 209 strains. Most interestingly, when evaluated at the fermentation and technological level, a number of isolates were found to be superior to industrial yeast strains. Out of a selected group, isolates from two strains were used for experimental fermentations in a winery environment and the quality of the wines produced was assessed at the technological, quality and sensory levels. Given that the characteristics of the wines produced were found to be industrially appealing, the study demonstrated the economic potential of preserving the patrimony of Sicilian yeast biodiversity and highlighted the importance of maintaining traditional wine making practices.

DNA Barcoding of Yeasts from Selected Bulgarian Food Products

ABSTRACTStudies on biodiversity of yeasts in Bulgarian food ecosystems are scarce. In present article 14 yeast strains were isolated from various commercial Bulgarian food products and characterized by DNA barcoding analysis. The analysis has shown occurrence in food products various yeasts from the following genera- Saccharomyces, Kazachstania, Kluyveromyces, Pichia, Isatchenkia, Candida and Rhodotorula.

Internal Transcribed Spacer as a Target to Assess Yeast Biodiversity in Italian Taleggio PDO Cheese

Three batches of soft smear-ripened Taleggio PDO cheese were made in Northern Italy during the summertime 2010. A total of 129 isolates cultured from cheese surface were examined by using PCR-based methods and sequencing of both the ITS1 region and D1 and D2 domains of the 26S rRNA gene. Sequence analysis of isolates brought to the identification of 6 species: Debaryomyces hansenii, Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Yarrowia lipolytica, Pichia guilliermondii, and Torulaspora delbrueckii. Analysis of DNA directly extracted from 45 cheese surfaces permitted to detect 2 additional species Candida sake and Candida etchellsii. D. hansenii was predominant and widespread whereas the other yeast species were detected less frequently. To determine the relationships between yeast community and the environment, 39 isolates from wooden boxes used for dry salting of cheese were analyzed as well. Sequencing of ITS1 region allowed to identify D. hansenii, T. delbrueckii, and K. lactis. ITS1 multiple sequence alignments of D. hansenii detected in wooden boxes showed an in-del polymorphism at position 169. ITS1 secondary structures of yeasts were modeled to explore new applications of this region for molecular identification purposes. This study used molecular analysis to identify adventitious yeast population present in the surface of Taleggio smear-ripened cheese. D. hansenii was found predominant in pasteurized milk, in dry salting equipment, and in all cheese samples until the end of ripening.

Biodiversity of yeasts, lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria in the fermentation of “Shanxi aged vinegar”, a traditional Chinese vinegar

Shanxi aged vinegar is a famous traditional Chinese vinegar made from several kinds of cereal by spontaneous solid-state fermentation techniques. In order to get a comprehensive understanding of culturable microorganism’s diversity present in its fermentation, the indigenous microorganisms including 47 yeast isolates, 28 lactic acid bacteria isolates and 58 acetic acid bacteria isolates were recovered in different fermenting time and characterized based on a combination of phenotypic and genotypic approaches including inter-delta/PCR, PCR-RFLP, ERIC/PCR analysis, as well as 16S rRNA and 26S rRNA partial gene sequencing. In the alcoholic fermentation, the dominant yeast species Saccharomyces (S.) cerevisiae (96%) exhibited low phenotypic and genotypic diversity among the isolates, while Lactobacillus (Lb.) fermentum together with Lb. plantarum, Lb. buchneri, Lb. casei, Pediococcus (P.) acidilactici, P. pentosaceus and Weissella confusa were predominated in the bacterial population at the same stage. Acetobacter (A.) pasteurianus showing great variety both in genotypic and phenotypic tests was the dominant species (76%) in the acetic acid fermentation stage, while the other acetic acid bacteria species including A. senegalensis, A. indonesiensis, A. malorum and A. orientalis, as well as Gluconobacter (G.) oxydans were detected at initial point of alcoholic and acetic acid fermentation stage respectively.

Influence of different floor management strategies of the vineyard on the natural yeast population associated with grape berries

Some oenological practices, such as the massive utilisation of commercial yeast and the consequent colonisation of wineries, can contribute to reducing the native yeast biodiversity. In this context, the vineyard could be a reservoir of autochthonous yeasts of oenological interest. Thus, the evaluation of the influence of different agricultural parameters on the biodiversity of yeast population in the vineyard is necessary. This work shows the results of the influence of some floor management strategies of the vineyard in the natural yeast population associated with the grape-berries. With this objective, a three year sampling plan was designed in the Shiraz vineyards of the Madrid region using three floor management strategies: bare soil by tillage, bare soil maintained with herbicides and soil maintained with cover crop. The results of this study have shown that bare soil by tillage could be a sustainable alternative for managing the soil, due to the reduced use of agrochemicals and the resulting high yeasts biodiversity. Nevertheless, the presence of herbicides in the vineyard has a minor impact on the diversity of grape associated yeast communities, and this could have increased the yeast populations. Hence, from the fermentative yeasts' (like Saccharomyces) point of view, in hot and arid environments where soils may be affected by the tillage management, the best option could be the maintenance of the bare soil with the use of herbicides.

Preliminary prospection of the yeast biodiversity on apple and pear surfaces from Northern Italy orchards

Apples and pears of four different cultivars from nine companies located in northern Italy have been submitted to the isolation of the blastomycetic flora before and after industrial washing, in order to individuate and isolate the resident yeasts, particularly those resistant to the industrial washing. Cultures of the following species were isolated: Aureobasidium pullulans, Candida oleophila, Debaryomyces hansenii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Metschnikowia fructicola, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Wickerhamyomyces anomalus, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Pichia kluyveri and Rhodotorula glutinis. The most diffuse species was M. guilliermondii, found on all cultivars after washing. Species of the Metschnikowia gender and A. pullulans were also very common. Identification through rDNA 26 S and FTIR characterization made it possible to trace some strains and to establish that these were resistant to the washing treatment. The presence and distribution of superficial microbiota on apples was also shown by scanning electronic microscopy. This preliminary study has shown that the yeast cultures on the surfaces can be differentiated for their resistance to industrial treatments and that an increase of the yeast flora can be easily obtained.

Influence of the farming system and vine variety on yeast communities associated with grape berries

Wine production in most countries is based on the use of commercial strains leading to the colonisation of the wineries by these strains with the consequent reduction of autochthonous biodiversity. This implies that wine styles could therefore become standardised. The vineyard could be an important source of native yeasts of oenological interest. For this reason the objective of this study was to compare two agronomic conditions with the aim of preserving yeast biodiversity in the vineyard. A three year sampling plan was designed to evaluate the influence of different agronomic parameters on the biodiversity of fermentative grape yeasts. Thus two vineyards, one organic and one conventional, with three different grape varieties (Shiraz, Grenache and Barbera) were chosen. In total, 27 samples were collected from both vineyards. Of these, 1080 colonies were isolated and a total of 9 species were identified. The strains identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae were genotyped by microsatellite analysis obtaining nine different electrophoretic patterns. Classical ecology indexes were used to obtain the richness ( S), the biodiversity ( H') and the dominance ( D) of the species studied. The results indicated a clear influence on grape associated yeast diversity of the phytosanitary treatment used in the vineyard. This is the first time that classical ecology indexes have been used to study the ecology of the spontaneous fermentation of grape musts and the species Candida sorbosa and Pichia toletana have been described in vineyards of the Madrid winegrowing region.

Biodiversity of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in spontaneously-fermented buckwheat and teff sourdoughs

In this study, four different laboratory scale gluten-free (GF) sourdoughs were developed from buckwheat or teff flours. The fermentations were initiated by the spontaneous biota of the flours and developed under two technological conditions (A and B). Sourdoughs were propagated by continuous back-slopping until the stability was reached. The composition of the stable biota occurring in each sourdough was assessed using both culture-dependent and -independent techniques. Overall, a broad spectrum of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts species, belonging mainly to the genera Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Leuconostoc, Kazachstania and Candida, were identified in the stable sourdoughs. Buckwheat and teff sourdoughs were dominated mainly by obligate or facultative heterofermentative LAB, which are commonly associated with traditional wheat or rye sourdoughs. However, the spontaneous fermentation of the GF flours resulted also in the selection of species which are not consider endemic to traditional sourdoughs, i.e. Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc holzapfelii, Lactobacillus gallinarum, Lactobacillus vaginalis, Lactobacillus sakei, Lactobacillus graminis and Weissella cibaria. In general, the composition of the stable biota was strongly affected by the fermentation conditions, whilst Lactobacillus plantarum dominated in all buckwheat sourdoughs. Lactobacillus pontis is described for the first time as dominant species in teff sourdough. Among yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida glabrata dominated teff sourdoughs, whereas the solely Kazachstania barnetti was isolated in buckwheat sourdough developed under condition A. This study allowed the identification and isolation of LAB and yeasts species which are highly competitive during fermentation of buckwheat or teff flours. Representatives of these species can be selected as starters for the production of sourdough destined to GF bread production.

Occurrence and dominance of yeast species in naturally fermented milk from the Tibetan Plateau of China

To determine which yeasts are present in the naturally fermented milks of China, 69 samples made by the nomads of Tibet were collected from the Tibetan Plateau in China. From these samples, 225 strains of yeast were isolated and identified using conventional microbiological analysis and gene sequencing analysis of the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (26S) ribosomal DNA. The results showed that the total concentration of yeasts in these samples ranged from 5.01 to 8.97 log10 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL (6.91± 1.02 log10 CFU/mL; mean± SD). The number of cultivable yeasts was higher in the samples from Qinghai (7.55± 0.75 log10 CFU/mL) than those from Tibet (6.21± 0.79 log10 CFU/mL, P< 0.05). Moreover, there were 15 phylotypes in these 69 samples. Among these phylotypes, Kluyveromyces marxianus (49.3%, frequency percentage), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (62.3%), and Pichia fermentans (46.4%) appeared frequently and can be considered the most common culturable species in naturally fermented milk products. Traditional fermented Mongolian cow milk featured a wide diversity of yeast species, including Issatchenkia orientalis, Kazachstania unisporus, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Candida pararugosa, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Geotrichum sp., Kazachstania unisporus, Geotrichum fragrans, Debaryomyces hansenii, Yarrowia lipolytica, Trichosporon gracile, and Pichia membranifaciens. This study provides new data on yeast composition in naturally fermented milk and shows the yeast biodiversity of fermented milk products from the Tibetan Plateau of China.

Harnessing Aquatic Yeasts For Developing A New Generation of Sunscreens

Around 100 yeast genera and 800 species have been isolated and characterized. Nagahama (2006) has reviewed yeast biodiversity in freshwater, marine and deep-Sea Environments. Our work aims at systematic biodiversity assessment of freshwater aquatic yeasts from Goa with major focus on carotenogenic basidiomycetes yeasts which on exposure to potentially damaging levels of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) accumulate photoprotective compounds (PPC) such as mycosporine-glutaminol-glucoside (myc-glu-glu, peak absorption at 309-310nm) that server as sunscreens and /or antioxidant. These yeasts are a potential source of a particularly diverse family of such substances, collectively referred to as mycosporine- like amino-acids (MAAs). This paper presents the potential of exploiting MAAs to develop a new generation of ecofriendly sunscreens.

Harnessing Aquatic Yeasts For Developing A New Generation of Sunscreens

AbstractAround 100 yeast genera and 800 species have been isolated and characterized. Nagahama (2006) has reviewed yeast biodiversity in freshwater, marine and deep-Sea Environments. Our work aims at systematic biodiversity assessment of freshwater aquatic yeasts from Goa with major focus on carotenogenic basidiomycetes yeasts which on exposure to potentially damaging levels of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) accumulate photoprotective compounds (PPC) such as mycosporine-glutaminol-glucoside (myc-glu-glu, peak absorption at 309-310nm) that server as sunscreens and /or antioxidant. These yeasts are a potential source of a particularly diverse family of such substances, collectively referred to as mycosporine- like amino-acids (MAAs). This paper presents the potential of exploiting MAAs to develop a new generation of ecofriendly sunscreens.

Yeast biodiversity from oleic ecosystems: Study of their biotechnological properties

The aim of this study was to know the yeast biodiversity from fresh olive ( Olea europaea L.) fruits, olive paste (crush olives) and olive pomace (solid waste) from Arbequina and Cornicabra varieties. Yeasts were isolated from fruits randomly harvested at various olive groves in the region of Castilla La Mancha (Spain). Olive paste and pomace, a byproduct of the processing of this raw material, were also collected in sterile flasks from different oil mills. Molecular identification methodology used included comparison of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons of their 5.8S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2 followed by restriction pattern analysis (RFLP). For some species, sequence analysis of the 5.8S rDNA gene was necessary. The results were compared to sequences held in public databases (BLAST). These techniques allowed to identify fourteen different species of yeasts, belonging to seven different genera ( Zygosaccharomyces, Pichia, Lachancea, Kluyveromyces, Saccharomyces, Candida, Torulaspora) from the 108 yeast isolates. Species diversity was thus considerable: Pichia caribbica, Zygosaccharomyces fermentati ( Lachancea fermentati) and Pichia holstii ( Nakazawaea holstii) were the most commonly isolated species, followed by Pichia mississippiensis, Lachancea sp., Kluyveromyces thermotolerans and Saccharomyces rosinii. The biotechnological properties of these isolates, was also studied. For this purpose, the activity of various enzymes (β-glucosidase, β-glucanase, carboxymethylcellulase, polygalacturonase, peroxidase and lipase) was evaluated. It was important that none of species showed lipase activity, a few had cellulase and polygalacturonase activities and the majority of them presented β-glucanase, β-glucosidase and peroxidase activities.

Probiotic yeasts: Anti-inflammatory potential of various non-pathogenic strains in experimental colitis in mice

To evaluate the in vitro immunomodulation capacity of various non-pathogenic yeast strains and to investigate the ability of some of these food grade yeasts to prevent experimental colitis in mice. In vitro immunomodulation was assessed by measuring cytokines [interleukin (IL)-12p70, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor and interferon gamma] released by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells after 24 h stimulation with 6 live yeast strains (Saccharomyces ssp.) and with bacterial reference strains. A murine model of acute 2-4-6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-colitis was next used to evaluate the distinct prophylactic protective capacities of three yeast strains compared with the performance of prednisolone treatment. The six yeast strains all showed similar non-discriminating anti-inflammatory potential when tested on immunocompetent cells in vitro. However, although they exhibited similar colonization patterns in vivo, some yeast strains showed significant anti-inflammatory activities in the TNBS-induced colitis model, whereas others had weaker or no preventive effect at all, as evidenced by colitis markers (body-weight loss, macroscopic and histological scores, myeloperoxidase activities and blood inflammatory markers). A careful selection of strains is required among the biodiversity of yeasts for specific clinical studies, including applications in inflammatory bowel disease and other therapeutic uses.

Biodiversity and phytase capacity of yeasts isolated from Tanzanian togwa

The focus of the present investigation was on the Tanzanian fermented food togwa as a source for dietary iron and zinc, and the potential for mineral availability improvements using selected yeasts. To establish the content of target minerals and main inhibitor for intestinal uptake, iron and zinc as well as the mineral chelating phytic acid, (IP 6 or phytate) were determined in naturally fermented togwa. Yeasts were isolated from sorghum, maize and cassava based togwa, and identified by sequencing the D1/D2 region of the LSU rRNA gene. The isolated yeasts were subsequently screened for phytase activity. The total iron content in sorghum, maize and cassava based togwa were 41.5 (± 7.2), 85.4 (± 31.9) and 28.6 (± 3.8) µg/g dw (dry weight) respectively. The zinc content was 12.3 (± 3.1), 11.0 (± 1.1) and 6.4 (± 4.5) µg/g dw in sorghum, maize and cassava based togwa, and the phytate content in the three varieties were 2.6 ± 1.2, 4.7 ± 0.8 and 0.4 ± 0.4 µmol/g dw respectively. The phytate levels in the sorghum and maize based togwa are expected to substantially reduce the availability of iron. The molar ratio phytate to iron for these two varieties were estimated to be 3.5:1 and 3.1:1 respectively. In general, a phytate to iron molar ratio below 1 is needed to increase the availability of iron. Among 26 isolates, 9 different species could be distinguished: Issatchenkia orientalis, Pichia anomala, Pichia norvegensis, Pichia burtonii, Pichia guilliermondii, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Hanseniaspora guilliermondii and Candida glabrata. The strains were screened for phytase activity in YPD supplemented with 0.5 mM IP 6. Of 26 screened strains, the phytase activity was most prominent in strains of I. orientalis and H. guilliermondii. The strains and data constitute a basis for further improvements of iron and zinc bioavailability in togwa.

Three new species of bipolar budding yeasts of the genusHanseniasporaand its anamorphKloeckeraisolated in Thailand

In the course of a survey of yeast biodiversity in the natural substrates in Thailand, eight strains were found to represent three hitherto undescribed species of Hanseniaspora/Kloeckera. They were isolated from insect frass, flower, lichen, rotted fruit and rotted wood. Based on the morphological and physiological characteristics, and sequences of D1/D2 domain, six strains represent a single species of the genus Hanseniaspora, described as Hanseniaspora thailandica sp. nov. (type BCC 14938(T)=NBRC 104216(T)=CBS 10841(T)), and another strain as Hanseniaspora singularis sp. nov. (type BCC 15001(T)=NBRC 104214(T)=CBS 10840(T)). A further strain, which belongs to Kloeckera and does not produce ascospores, is described as Kloeckera hatyaiensis sp. nov. (type BCC 14939(T)=NBRC 104215(T)=CBS 10842(T)). Strains belonging to H. thailandica sp. nov. differed by 17-19 nucleotide substitutions from Hanseniaspora meyeri, the closest species. DNA reassociation between the two taxa showed 30-48% relatedness. Kloeckera hatyaiensis sp. nov. and H. singularis sp. nov. differed by eight and 16 nucleotide substitutions with one gap from the nearest species, Hanseniaspora clermontiae and Hanseniaspora valbyensis, respectively.

Candida carvajalissp. nov., an ascomycetous yeast species from the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle

In the course of a yeast biodiversity survey of different ecological habitats found in Ecuador, two yeast strains (CLQCA 20-011(T) and CLQCA20-014) were isolated from samples of rotten wood and fallen leaf debris collected at separate sites in the central region of the Ecuadorian Amazonia. These strains were found to represent a novel yeast species based on the sequences of their D1/D2 domain of the large-subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and their physiological characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis based on LSU D1/D2 sequences revealed this novel species to be most closely related to Candida asparagi, Candida fructus, Candida musae and two as yet undescribed Candida species, with the six yeast taxa collectively forming a distinct species group within the Clavispora clade. The species name of Candida carvajalis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains, with CLQCA 20-011(T) (NCYC 3509(T), CBS 11361(T)) designated as the type strain.

Metabolic Footprinting for the Study of Microbial Biodiversity

INTRODUCTIONMass spectrometric analysis of the metabolome (the complete set of small-molecule metabolites such as metabolic intermediates, hormones, and other signaling molecules, and secondary metabolites to be found within a biological sample, such as a single organism) has become a key component of modern systems biology. Within this broad definition, a number of technical refinements have enabled high-throughput profiling to be performed of the exometabolome (the metabolites that a cell or system excretes under controlled conditions). This technique has become known as metabolic footprinting and was first developed for analysis of yeast single- gene deletion mutants. More recently, it has proved valuable in metabolic profiling and comparative analysis of brewing and medically important yeast biodiversity. Direct injection mass spectrometry (DIMS) enables the direct injection or infusion of a sample, typically into an electrospray ionization mass spectrometer (ESI-MS). This article describes a detailed DIMS methodology in which samples of spent media from yeast cultures are introduced into an ESI-MS by direct injection into a flowing solvent (flow injection). DIMS resolves complex mixtures into components differing in ion mass using electrospray ionization, which avoids the need for derivatization and time-consuming chromatographic separation that is found with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The method is rapid and discriminatory. Populations of extremely closely related yeast strains can be identified and assigned to clusters of comparable phenotypes, even when standard genetic fingerprinting techniques fail to discriminate among such variants.

Identification of yeast population dynamics of spontaneous fermentation in Beijing wine region, China

The aim of this study was (i) to investigate changes occurring in the yeast population profile during spontaneous fermentation of grape juice; (ii) to assess the proliferation of commercial yeast starter culture strains in vineyards; and (iii) to identify indigenous wine strains for future development of starter strains that better reflect the yeast biodiversity of China’s grape-growing regions. To achieve this, yeasts were isolated at four different stages during fermentation of both hand-pressed and winery-sourced must samples ofVitis vinifera L. cv. Roussanne and Merlot. A total of 1600 yeast colonies were isolated and then grouped according to macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. A selection of 291 colonies from the different groups was subjected to species identification using the internal transcribed spacer regions of the 5.8S rRNA gene (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region) and the inter-delta (δ) sequence of the 26S rRNA D1/D2 region. In addition, 104Saccharomyces cerevisiae colonies were subjected to strain identification. Twelve species belonging to nine different genera were found amongst the isolates. During the early stages of fermentation, it was found thatHanseniaspora uvarum andCandida stellata numerically dominated the four to six yeast species present, including a region-specific yeast,Sporobolomyces beijingensis. TwoS. cerevisiae strains were isolated from the final stage of fermentation. These two indigenous strains, which were found to be different from the nine commercial yeast strains previously used as starter cultures in this particular Beijing-based winery, might possess potentially important region-specific oenological characteristics. This study provides the first essential step towards the preservation and exploitation of the hidden oenological potential of the untapped wealth of yeast biodiversity in China’s wine-producing regions.

Yeast biodiversity in Slovenian wine regions: Case amino acids in spontaneous and induced fermentations of Malvasia

Microbial biodiversity can also be reflected in final product composition. The work described in this paper investigates the differences in the amino acid composition of 14 Malvasia musts/wines fermented with local and commercial starter yeasts, comparing all to the spontaneous fermentations of must of the same origin. We tried to ascertain whether the changes were dependent upon different initiations of fermentations. A comparative study of free and total amino acid evolution was prepared. The total concentration of 15 amino acids studied was 1975 mg/l, and the concentration of fraee amino acids was 1061 mg/l. Spontaneous and induced fermentations showed different fermentation rates. Three to nine days were needed to reduce sugar by 50%. Although the proline is regarded as non-assailable amino acid, decreases in concentration were observed. Lysine was the only amino acid where the concentration increased. The minimal uptakes of amino acids occurred during spontaneous fermentations, whereas the maximal uptakes were observed in the fermentations inoculated with local starters.

Evaluation of a Brazilian Fuel Alcohol Yeast Strain for Scotch Whisky Fermentations

Traditionally, distilling companies in Scotland have employed a very limited number of yeast strains in the production of alcohol for Scotch whiskies. Recent changes such as the decline in availability of brewers' yeast as a secondary yeast strain and the availability of yeast in different formats (e.g., dried and cream yeast as alternatives to compressed yeast) have promoted interest in alternative Scotch whisky distilling yeasts. In previous work, we investigated different strains of yeasts, specifically Brazilian yeasts which had been isolated from and used in fuel alcohol distilleries. One of the Brazilian yeasts (CAT 1) showed a comparable fermentation performance and superior stress tolerance compared with a standard commercial Scotch whisky distilling yeast (M Type). The Brazilian CAT 1 yeast isolate was further assessed in laboratory scale fermentations and subsequent new make spirit was subjected to sensory analyses. The spirits produced using the Brazilian strain had acceptable flavour profiles and exhibited no sensory characteristics that were atypical of Scotch whisky new make spirit. This study highlights the potential of exploiting yeast biodiversity in traditional Scotch whisky distillery fermentation processes.