What does yeast have in common with Olympic athletes?

They don’t just show up and perform. They train.

In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast, we sit down with former Escarpment Labs R&D Lead and current Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology at Carleton University, Dr. Eugene Fletcher, to break down the science of Lab Evolution — and how it’s shaping the future of brewing.

Eugene helped bring strains like KRISPY, Pomona, and TERPS to market. Now, he’s researching how brewer’s yeast can be evolved to break down plastic waste and turn it into biofuels.

In this episode, we cover:

• What lab evolution actually is — and why it’s like Olympic training

• How it differs from simple repitching

• How Pomona evolved from “okay” to a global strain partnership

• Why Saccharomyces is uniquely adaptable

• Lab evolution vs. GMO: advantages and tradeoffs

• The story of a Ghanaian strain sourced from traditional brewing

• What modern brewers — and even the non-alcoholic category — can learn from West African fermentation

If you’ve ever wondered how yeast adapts to hops, malt, pressure, or entirely new environments, this episode pulls back the curtain.

Featured in this Episode:

• For more information on Eugene and his current research, visit https://carleton.ca/biology/people/eugene-fletcher/
• Learn more of the details behind products developed by Eugene at Escarpment Labs here: KRISPY, LalBrew Pomona™, TERPS