Veerle Saels

Papers

Total Citations

243

H-Index

About

Veerle Saels is a pioneering researcher in industrial yeast biotechnology, whose work bridges synthetic biology and brewing science to solve real-world fermentation challenges. Her major contributions center on two key areas: creating novel interspecific yeast hybrids for improved flavor in lager beers, and engineering *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* strains with enhanced ethanol tolerance for biofuel production. In her landmark 2015 study (138 citations), Saels generated a large set of new *Saccharomyces* hybrids that dramatically increased aromatic diversity in lager beers—a breakthrough for the world’s most consumed alcoholic beverage. That same year, she co-authored a highly cited paper (105 citations) demonstrating large-scale, robot-assisted genome shuffling to develop industrial yeasts capable of surviving high ethanol concentrations, directly addressing a critical bottleneck in bioethanol fermentation. Her work is notable for its innovative use of automation and directed evolution to accelerate strain development. By combining fundamental genetics with applied industrial needs, Saels has provided brewers and biofuel producers with powerful new tools, making her research essential reading for anyone interested in yeast metabolic engineering, fermentation science, or sustainable biotechnology.