Development and application of CRISPR/Cas in grapevine

Sulphur dioxide has been used for many years for its antimicrobial, antioxidant and antioxydasic properties in winemaking but nowadays, it is a source of controversy. Indeed, consumers are more attentive to the naturalness of their foods and beverages and the legislation is changing to reduce the total SO₂ levels allowed in wines. To limit and replace the doses of sulphur dioxide applied, winemakers can now use bioprotection consisting in live yeast addition as alternative,seems to be promising. This process, lightly used in from the food industry, allows to colonize the environment and limit the development or even eliminate undesirable microorganisms without altering the sensory properties of the product.

According to the Kyoto Protocol objectives, it’s necessary to identify alternative carbon dioxide sinks, and vineyard soils could be a significant opportunity.

EU countries are in the top 16 of the world’s wine producers. To respond to a public health concern, caused by SO2 excessive exposure

Il settore primario, ed in particolare quello agricolo, sta attraversando un periodo partico­larmente delicato. Sia gli aspetti della produzione che quelli della commercializzazione ven­gono infatti messi in discussione da nuovi indirizzi economici e tecnologici.

The addition of sulphur dioxide (SO2) is the method traditionally used for wine stabilisation, due to its broad spectrum of action against unwanted microorganisms and its ability to prevent oxidative phenomena.