Belgium famously produces hundreds of different beers, but that is nothing compared to the varieties of yeast used to make them — around 30,000 are kept on ice at just one laboratory by scientists seeking the perfect ingredient for the perfect brew.
A team from the University of Leuven and life sciences research institute VIB are examining and cross-breeding yeast strains, adding modern genetics to a search for brewing perfection that dates back centuries.
"We're ... using robots to cross different yeast like farmers have been doing with cattle and livestock for centuries," said genetics professor Kevin Verstrepen.