Scientists have just found an intelligent “repair” of vibrant smoky wine

Forest fires have become more frequent and severe on the American West Coast – a region that produces the vast majority of the country’s wine. The resulting smoke has proven to be an expensive problem for wine factories, Cloud Billions of dollars of products with unwanted smoke flavor.

Fortunately, scientists may have found a smart solution. In a new study published on Wednesday in the magazine Plos oneThe researchers, led by Claudia Castro from the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture Gordonia Alcanifuran That destroys Guaiacol – a compound in the smoke of wild fire that disturbs the flavor of wine.

Mastic the team on the specified genes that give bacteria this ability, and open the door to biotechnology that can fight the effects of wild smoke pollution.

“Smoke in wine has caused significant economic losses to the wine industry in recent years,” the study said. “For example, California and Oregon lost $ 3.7 billion due to smoke smoke in 2020. As a result, the wine industry is in urgent need of new technology to help reduce this difficult vital chemical problem.”

Harmony of microbium grape plant

The vegetable material is burned from Guaiacol and other volatile phenols, or aromatic organic compounds. When the wine grape absorbs these phenols, they are launched during the wine maker, giving the final product a smoker taste, known as “smoke”.

Previous studies have shown that certain types of bacteria that make soil can destroy Guaiacol, but a few have explored whether the bacteria in microbium of grape plants have this ability. To investigate this, Castro and her colleagues harvested the leaves of the cards and Cabrnett plants, then tested it to the bacteria that eaten Guyakul.

Researchers have identified two strains from G. alkanivorans That uses Guaiacol as the only carbon source. After that, they sequence their genomics, and identified the group of genes that allow them to perform this function. When they deleted one of these genes – called Gaa – from DNA G. alkanivorans Cells, bacteria are no longer able to destroy Guaiacol, confirming that they found the genetic key to the deterioration of the microscopic Guaiacol.

Road to new solutions

While researchers do not specify any specific methods that the wine industry can harness these bacteria – or a geoat itself – to protect the grapes from the pollution of wild smoke, there are several types of solutions that can stem from the results.

For one, the application of bacteria directly to wine plants after exposure to smoke may reduce the quantity of Guaiacol absorbed into the fruit. Researchers can also develop ways to encourage the growth of these bacteria and enhance the natural defenses of plants. Instead, wine producers can offer these microbes during the process of making a wine to destroy Guaiacol before the final product bottle.

This will require more research to develop practical solutions and ensure that they are safe for plants, agricultural workers and wine consumers. This study determines a possible promising method for treating smoke smoke. With global temperatures and forest fires become increasingly common in the western United States, the future of the country’s wine industry depends on innovative solutions for smoking pollution.