Guanajuato, Gto., January 8, 2017.- Researchers of the University of Guanajuato (UG), together with private investors, created INLEMEX S.A. de C.V., business dedicated to the production of yeasts, used in the elaboration of tequila. Yeasts are unicellular organisms capable of fermenting alcohol, where the sugars in the agave juice transforms into Ethanol and Carbon Dioxide. Fermenting with yeast is a process commonly used in the industry since it allows transforming grape juice into wine, barley into beer and starch to fabricate one the most consumed products in the world, such as bread.

Professors Dr. Gloria Angélica González, Dr. Israel Enrique Padilla Guerrero and Dr. Juan Carlos Torres Guzmán are the responsible of the Laboratory of "Fungus Molecular Genetics", of the Department of Biology of the Division of Natural and Exact Sciences of Campus Guanajuato.

In an interview with Dr. Juan Carlos Torres, he assured that the business project emerged when seeking for well characterized yeast and of high fermenting efficiency (so they produce a lot of alcohol), without losing the aroma characteristics of the product.

This draw the attention of external investors, who sought the University of Guanajuato to found such company, project that has gathered major and postgraduate students, whose research have increased the production and quality of tequila parting from yeast produced by the company.

Pesticides substituted with fungus

Another project of great innovation that the researchers at the lab have is, the better use of the fungus of the gender Metarhizium to attack the insects who attack the agricultural cultures.

With this project, assured Dr. Torres, we promote a better development of plants, diminish the chemical pesticides and counter the environmental contamination.

"Chemical pesticides are expensive and pollute. Fungus diminish the costs of agricultural production due to plagues and there's no environmental damage" he pointed.

Therefore, UG has a production plant of benefic organisms which will be relaunched in 2017, and its purpose is to produce and commercialize fungus for plague control.

"We have the challenge to seek the conditions of maximum production and strengthen the production plant of pesticides, as well as creating the company UG Biologics to commercialize our products", he finalized.