From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Fri May 30 2003 - 17:30:02 MDT
R. Bradbury:
<<Well the last time I checked yeast were being used for the production
of some chemicals and/or pharmaceuticals. And I think we have been
using them for a very long time to produce bread and beer.>>
I was hoping this will lead to vastly improved processes, for producing
something futuristic; like "yeast steaks" - yeast that has the characteristics of
beef, chicken, lamb, or fish, fruits etc. That way, no animals need be
slaughtered, or fruits wouldn't depend on warm weather and the like. If your steak
came from yeast or fungus we could mass produce food that people could enjoy, and
produce it in hundreds of times the volume that it is currently raised.
<<A better base for this is bacteria, not yeast -- they replicate much
faster (down to 20 min per replication cycle) and some have photosynthetic
capabilities -- so they can use solar energy>>
I believe that you are well-aware that Craig Ventner is financing such a
research venture. Bateria may be the most optimal method to produce fuel, but I
was looking to see if yeast-fungus might be the most practical-commercially
ready means; if the research is significant.
<<That was perhaps part of my point that I didn't make clear enough --
the timing of the cell cycle is very carefully regulated, in part
by some of the "regulons". Fully understanding the regulons allows
us to "tweek" them to make the cell cycle go faster -- or make the
cellular reproduction process be more reliable. Net results are
the ability to grow organs faster and a decreased proability that
normal cells turn into cancerous cells. We really need to get the mammalian
regulon -- but its perhaps only 3-5 times more complex than yeast. Doable in
3-5 years,
perhaps less.
Robert>>
I will bounce this info to my brother in law, who was an oncologist, and see
he can provide an idea of what the real-world impact might actually be. Thanks
mucho.
Mitch
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