An iGEM requirement is that all of the biological "parts," also called BioBricks, be freely available to any team, a requirement the Rice team followed. However, they eventually hope to modify their yeast enough that they will be granted a patent. They also hope to publish their results sometime next year. But don't expect to swill this brew soon. The team would need to remove certain genetic markers in the yeast cells first. FDA approval might then be necessary as well, since the yeast could be classified as a genetically modified organism. Filtering the beer would eliminate the yeast but remove the medical benefits as well. The yeast cells produce resverstrol inside the cells. The cells have to burst for the human body to access the resverstrol. The easiest way is to let the stomach do what it does best. Once resverstrol enters the body it binds to the SIRT1 receptors, which are located inside mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell. SIRT1 activity has been linked to combatting a variety of medical conditions, including diabetes and cancer. It may also play a role in the way calorie restriction diets have been shown to extend life in animal models. Several drugs, including resverstrol itself and synthetic versions, like SRT1720, which is 1,000 times more powerful than resverstrol, are currently seeking FDA approval to treat diabetes by limiting weight gain and levels of cholesterol and insulin. Those trials are using up to 500 mg of the drugs, an amount far beyond what would be found in a glass of red wine. In fact, the Rice team estimates that a glass of BioBeer would have less than the average glass of wine. "The levels in the beer might not be high enough to have a beneficial effect," said the Rice team's faculty adviser Jonathan Silberg. But proving that a person's life could be extended or their diabetes controlled through a combination of water, yeast, hops, malted grains and synthetic biology wasn't the goal of the project; it was just to prove that it was possible. Related Links: |
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