New research from the University of Georgia reveals that the spread of baker’s yeast may mirror human migration patterns. By analyzing DNA from wild yeast on tree bark—some collected on UGA’s North Campus—scientists found that wild and domesticated yeast populations aren’t as separate as once thought.
The team, led by Ph.D. candidate Jacqueline Peña and professor Douda Bensasson, discovered that yeast populations across continents show genetic overlap, suggesting human influence dating back to the last ice age. Remarkably, yeast found in southern Europe matched strains from the U.S. South, possibly transferred during the 19th-century French wine blight, when American rootstock was used to save vineyards.
The findings highlight how human activity, past and present, can shape microbial life. “We may be changing all kinds of things without knowing it,” Bensasson said. The study was published in Molecular Ecology.
