saccharomyces

noun

sac·cha·ro·my·ces | \ˌsa-kə-rō-ˈmī-(ˌ)sēz

Definition of saccharomyces

: any of a genus (Saccharomyces of the family Saccharomycetaceae) of usually unicellular yeasts (such as a brewer's yeast) that are distinguished by their sparse or absent mycelium and by their facility in reproducing asexually by budding

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Five years ago, scientists at a Swiss company called Evolva added genes to Saccharomyces cerevisiae so that the yeasty beasties ferment sugar into the compound that makes vanilla taste vanillish. — David Ferry, WIRED, "Biochemists Are Turning Genetically Modified Yeast Into Perfume and Opioids," 31 Dec. 2014

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'saccharomyces.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of saccharomyces was in 1873

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saccharomyces

noun

sac·cha·ro·my·ces | \ˌsak-ə-rō-ˈmī-(ˌ)sēz

Medical Definition of saccharomyces

1 capitalized : a genus of unicellular yeasts (as a brewer's yeast) of the family Saccharomycetaceae that are distinguished by their sparse or absent mycelium and by their facility in reproducing asexually by budding

2 plural saccharomyces : any yeast of the genus Saccharomyces