Scientists from Duke University (North Carolina, United States), together with their Brazilian research partners, reported the genome structure of a bioethanol-producing yeast that is widely used in Brazil. The organism is Saccharomyces cerevisiae PE-2 (reported to be a heterothallic diploid naturally adapted to the sugar cane fermentation process used in Brazil). Findings are reported in the journal, Genome Research (URL above). According to Dr. Lucas Argueso, lead author and researcher at Duke University's Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, they took an organism (Saccharomyces cerevisiae PE-2) "that is hugely important from an industrial standpoint, but completely unknown in terms of its genetic and molecular properties". From these studies, they were able to learn more about the organization of a complex genome and how it may contribute to robust adaptation. The study suggests that industrial yeast strains may have a high rate of evolution which may enable them to adapt to stressful conditions during fermentation (for example, tolerance to increasing ethanol concentrations during fermentation). "Now we have sequenced the genome," says Dr. Argueso. "We have a road map that will allow us to build upon [the yeast's] natural abilities. This opens the door to crossing yeast strains to make even more efficient yeasts for enhanced biofuel production.".