我們的研究即聚焦於釐清酵母菌株的分布、生態適應與族群結構，並進一步探討它們如何經由自己、動物、植物或人類活動，在亞洲地區遷移與擴散。 We focus on clarifying the distribution, ecological adaptation, and population structure of yeast strains, and further explore how they migrate and disperse across Asia—on their own or through animals, plants, or human activity.

亞洲的熱帶與亞熱帶地區蘊藏著豐富的酵母自然多樣性。台灣位於釀酒酵母（Saccharomyces cerevisiae）原生多樣性的重要地理區域，近年研究顯示，從台灣原始森林環境中分離出的野生菌株，不僅擁有目前已知最高的基因體多樣性，也可能代表了酵母自然演化歷程中的一個關鍵族群。台灣可能是釀酒酵母及其近緣種群的生態庇護所（refugium），在這片島嶼上保留了過去尚未被馴化與高度重組的祖先型菌株。這些菌株顯示出極高的基因體多樣性與族群結構穩定性，與現今常見的工業與實驗室菌株明顯不同。與其說台灣是釀酒酵母的地理起源，不如說是其演化過程中一個重要的避風港，使我們得以窺見自然狀態下的基因體樣貌。那其他酵母菌或是亞洲其他地方呢？

我們將會系統性重建亞洲各地野生酵母的演化與擴散歷程。透過第三代定序（特別是Oxford Nanopore Technologies）與族群基因體學分析，我們發現來自台灣、東亞與東南亞地區的野生菌株在基因組結構上呈現多樣化與地理分層，形成多個遺傳分群。

The tropical and subtropical regions of Asia harbour rich natural diversity of yeasts. Taiwan, situated in a key geographic area for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has yielded wild strains from its primary forests that exhibit the highest known genomic diversity to date. These strains may represent a critical lineage in the natural evolutionary history of S. cerevisiae. Rather than being the geographical origin of S. cerevisiae, Taiwan may serve as an ecological refugium—a cradle that retains ancestral, undomesticated, and genomically intact lineages. These wild strains show stable population structures and remarkable genetic diversity, setting them apart from commonly used industrial and laboratory strains. Taiwan offers a rare glimpse into the genomic landscape of S. cerevisiae in its natural state. But what about other yeasts and the rest of Asia?

Our goal is to systematically reconstruct the evolutionary history and dispersal pathways of wild yeast populations across Asia. Using third-generation sequencing technologies (particularly Oxford Nanopore Technologies) and population genomic analyses, we have found that wild yeast strains from Taiwan, East Asia, and Southeast Asia exhibit striking genomic diversity and geographic structuring, forming multiple distinct genetic clusters.

圖中地圖為總結了我們實驗室與合作團隊於全球收集的樣本來源，並特別標示出亞洲區域內不同物種與族群的分布樣貌。從森林的不同地方，我們透過這些來自自然環境的分離源，重建出酵母菌於亞洲的生物地理路徑，補足了過去以歐洲與工業菌株為主的偏見性認識。這些結果指出：酵母在自然界的遷移與適應，遠比先前想像更為頻繁與多樣。它們可能搭乘昆蟲、鳥類、哺乳動物，甚至人類的活動進行長距離遷徙，也可能在特定生境中形成穩定、具適應性的在地族群。我們的研究正試圖補足過去過度聚焦於歐美工業菌株的偏狹觀點，為酵母在自然界中的演化與地理歷史提供全新視角。

The map above summarizes sample origins from our lab and collaborators around the world, with a focus on the distribution patterns of various species and populations within Asia. From different forest habitats, we reconstruct biogeographic trajectories based on yeast strains isolated from natural environments, helping to complement the understandings of European and industrial strains in yeast research. Our findings suggest that yeast migration and adaptation in the wild are far more dynamic and widespread than previously assumed. Yeasts may travel long distances via insects, birds, mammals, or human activity, while also forming stable, locally adapted populations in specific ecological niches. This project seeks to broaden our understanding of yeast evolution and historical geography in nature by moving beyond the narrow lens of Eurocentric, industrial strain-centric studies.

除了自然生態環境，我們也關注傳統發酵文化的角色。發酵（Fermentation）一詞源自拉丁文「fervere」，意為「沸騰」，象徵著生命與能量的轉化。從家庭釀造到街邊小吃，每一種發酵技術都可能是一段微生物與人類共演化的歷史。透過調查在地發酵技藝與菌株來源，我們希望揭示在台灣與亞洲地區中，酵母菌如何跨越環境與文化邊界傳播、演化與重組。

In addition to natural ecosystems, we also explore the role of traditional fermentation cultures. The word “fermentation” comes from the Latin fervere, meaning “bubbling,” symbolizing transformation, energy, and life. From home-brewed drinks to street snacks, every fermentation practice reflects a unique history of microbe-human co-evolution. By documenting local fermentation techniques and tracing their microbial origins, we aim to uncover how yeasts have crossed environmental and cultural boundaries to migrate, evolve, and recombine throughout Taiwan and Asia.

本研究計畫的核心理念是： 重新認識這個生命科學中最經典的模式生物，作為一個在自然中遷移、適應並深度參與人類文化的微生物。我們相信，台灣與亞洲的野生酵母菌，蘊含著尚未被發現的演化故事與應用潛力。

At the heart of this project is a simple idea: To rediscover one of the most studied model organisms in life science—not merely as a laboratory tool, but as a naturally migrating, ecologically adapting, and culturally entangled microorganism. We believe that wild yeasts from Taiwan and across Asia hold untold stories of evolution and unrealised potential for future applications.

Protocols

1. For collaborators: Protocols for sampling leaf litters ver.2025

延伸閱讀

1. 研之有物：熟悉的陌生人：做麵包、釀酒以外，臺灣森林無所不在的野生釀酒酵母菌
2. 多樣性決定味覺豐富度 釀酒酵母的「萬年傳統全新感受」

Selected publications

1.Extensive sampling of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Taiwan reveals ecology and evolution of predomesticated lineages Genome Research

2.The teenage years of yeast population genomics — trace history, admixing and getting wilder Current Opinion in Genetics & Development

3.Yeasts from temperate forests Yeast

4.Population genomics of domestic and wild yeasts Nature

5.Conservation of recombination hotspots in yeast PNAS

6.Population genomics of the wild yeast Saccharomyces paradoxus: Quantifying the life cycle PNAS