A project in Chile, with researchers from La Cruz and the University of Santiago, is looking at expanding the shelf life of berries using yeast. They are working with nearly 200 native strains of S. Saccharomyces that can produce gasotransmitters. They are molecules of gas with wide biological applications and are still in the process of being fully understood.
The researchers are trying to find a strain of yeast that is useful in reducing postharvest losses for a week. The future areas of research include impact on hormonal regulation, expression of genes, colour, firmness and acidity.
The goal is to have an efficient, ready-to- use technology on both small-scale and large-scale production sites.