Scientists have transformed yeast from brewing and winemaking waste into a source of durable textiles.

Biotechnologists from the USA and Germany have created a technology that allows the use of yeast from waste in the winemaking and brewing industries to produce fabrics and threads. The material obtained by the scientists is 50% stronger than natural wool fibers, according to the press service of Pennsylvania State University. "Just as hunters and gatherers domesticated sheep for wool production 11,000 years ago, we have managed to 'domesticate' yeast for textile production. In the future, this will allow us to free up many agricultural lands used for textile production and use them for growing food products," said Professor Melik Demirel of Pennsylvania State University (USA), as reported by the university's press service. The technology developed by Professor Demirel and his colleagues is based on the fact that yeast used in the brewing and winemaking industries contain a large number of protein molecules. This protein can be extracted using an organic substance NMMO-based ...