Lyophilization and Field Survival of Epiphytic Yeasts from the Phyllosphere of Native Cacao in the Peruvian Amazon.

Summary: Good yeasts that live on plant leaves can help protect crops like cacao (the plant used to make chocolate) from diseases. However, keeping these helpful yeasts alive so farmers can easily use them in the field is very hard. Scientists in the Amazon tested six cheap ways to freeze-dry and save seven different types of these helpful yeasts. Their goal is to find the best recipe to keep the yeasts alive so they can be used to protect real-world cacao farms from getting sick.