Back to the Future
Humble Yeast: A Champion of the Genetics Revolution (continued)

Scientists use yeast in genetics research because it is easy to grow, simple (with only 6,000 genes compared to perhaps 130,000 in humans) to study, and has many genes similar or identical to those in humans. Evolution led to the appearance of "one-size-fits-all" genes, which do the same job in a wide variety of organisms. About 70% yeast genes are very similar to genes found in humans. Knowledge about how such a gene works in yeast, thus sheds light on how the corresponding gene works in humans.

Although yeast is single-celled, it is a very advanced organism. Like humans, it belongs to a group called "eukaryotes." All eukaryotes share similarities in their cell anatomy, including a distinct nucleus and compartmental structures for carrying out specialized processes.

In 1996, scientists deciphered the S. cerevisiae genome, the genetic blueprint for yeast used in baking and brewing. They determined the order of all 12,057,500 chemical subunits contained in the yeast's nuclear DNA. Yeast had the largest genome of any organism - or full set of genetic instructions - to decipher at that point. It gave scientists some of their first comprehensive knowledge about how all the genes in a eukaryotic cell function as an integrated system.