Stem cell beer is going on a Cambridge pub tour
Beer and stem cells are proving to be the perfect partnership for the Cambridge scientists who are brewing a second batch of a sell-out session ale to spread the word about their ground-breaking research.
PhD students at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Tim Lohoff and Daniel Bode, decided to brew the beer to help engage with people who wouldn't normally get involved in stem cell discussion.
They partnered with Moonshine Brewery in Fulbourn to create Regenerator, which sold out at the Cambridge Beer Festival. With the first batch of 800 litres gone, a second has been brewed ready for a tour of the region's pubs which kicked off this weekend at The Cambridge Blue on Gwydir Street, which also celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Daniel told the Cambridge Independent:"Both of us are German and we both like beer and we thought that beer is always a nice way to engage with people. It brings people at the same table together.
"We approached Moonshine in particular because we'd tried their beer and really liked it. They liked the idea and one of the brewers also has a scientific background. We spent a few hours with them in the brewery going through different hops and looking what flavours we could put in. It was really fun.
"We didn't expect to get into the beer festival but they were very keen and we sold out before the festival closed.
"We spoke to several hundred people at the beer festival and everyone was so positive, and it's nice to hear because it validates why we are here. People are always positive afterwards and realise how cool stem cells are, which sounds a bit romantic but it's true.
"A part of the message as well is about good beer - it needs to taste good, right? So that's the beauty of working with Moonshine, they're wizards when it comes to beer. So we hope the second batch goes down as well."
The Regenerator tour will make its next stops at the White Swan in Stow-cum-Quy, the Blue Moon and The Maypole.
Full details can be found online at stemcells.cam.ac.uk/ontour.
