Dr. Hennie JJ van Vuuren, Director of the Wine Research Centre, was honoured by the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation in Ottawa for major scientific breakthroughs in his laboratory that will prevent the formation of neurotoxins and carcinogens in wine. Industrial wine yeasts have been genetically improved in his laboratory, patented, licenced and approved by the US FDA, Health Canada and Environment Canada for commercial application in the USA and Canada. These are the first two genetically enhanced yeast in the world that have been approved for commercial wine making. A poster, archived equipment from his laboratory and packaged malolactic and ethyl carbamate preventing yeast strains will be permanently incorporated into the Agriculture Museum.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation in Ottawa comprises the Canada Agriculture Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum. This Corporation preserves and protects Canada’s scientific and technological heritage and promotes and shares knowledge about that heritage made in all spheres of life.
Reprinted with permission from ReachOut Newsletter: http://reachout.landfood.ubc.ca/wine-research-centre-honoured/