University Students Working On Anti-Cancer Beer

Cambridge, MA (AHN) - A team of Rice University students are trying to create a beer that contains the same chemical in red wine thought to reduce cancer and heart disease in lab animals.

The students' brew is called "Bio-beer" and it uses a yeast genetically engineered to produce resveratrol, a natural compound found in red wine.

The students will take their preliminary work to Cambridge, Mass. this weekend for the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, where students worldwide come to showcase new ideas based on manipulating DNA.

The beer is not drinkable yet. All the students' work to date has gone into creating a genetically-modified strain of yeast that will ferment beer and produce resveratrol simultaneously.

The team does plan to brew a few test batches in the coming weeks, but these will contain a few unappetizing chemical markers that will be needed for the experiments.

It's unclear if resveratrol has the same health benefits in humans as it does in lab mice, but some researchers believe it could play a role in the so-called "French paradox," where it seems French people have significantly lower instances of heart disease despite having a diet higher in saturated fat.