Today, the beer industry is worth an estimated $768.17 billion and could grow to as much as $989.48 billion by 2028.

But, especially since the the 1970s when brewers adopted new manufacturing techniques, beer may have lost some of its past flavor. Beer had historically been brewed in open, horizontal vats, but the industry switched to the larger, closed vessels, as seen on any present-day brewery tour. These containers are easier to fill, empty, and clean, and they enable larger brewing volumes to save costs. But this modern method can reduce the flavor produced in the process.

There may be a way to revive some of that taste, thanks to new developments in gene editing. Belgian scientists report improving the flavor of contemporary beer by identifying and engineering a gene in yeast and some other alcoholic drinks, in a new study out in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Johan Thevelein, an emeritus professor of molecular cell biology at Katholieke Universiteit in Leuven, Belgium, and his team first figured out how to identify the genes responsible for commercially important traits in yeast…. They used this technique to identify the genes responsible for flavor in beer by screening large numbers of yeast strains and evaluating which was best at preserving flavor while under pressure. According to Thevelein, they focused on a gene for a banana-like flavor.

…

The team used CRISPR/Cas9, the groundbreaking gene editing technology, to create this gene mutation in other brewing strains. The genetic engineering improved the strains’ ability to tolerate carbon dioxide pressure and enriched the beer’s flavor.