Fantastic yeasts in human history

Abstract

The common history of fungi and humans goes back thousands of years. Fungi are an important part of human life and culture and are used for food, medicine, and various other purposes. One of the earliest uses of fungi by humans was the production of fermented products with the help of yeasts. The best-known yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is also known as baker‘s yeast or brewer‘s yeast, was named Microbe of the Year 2022.
Yeasts are considered to be the first domesticated microorganisms. They have changed human life in many ways and largely improved. Yeasts have directly been involved in several important scientific discoveries and achievements. Throughout history, yeasts have been and continue to be a valuable tool for researchers in many fields, among them genetics, medicine, biotechnology as well as evolutionary biology.