Thalia Vivier: Optimisation of a Yeast DNA Extraction Method from Bottled Natural Wines

This study aimed to evaluate and optimise a DNA extraction method for natural, unfiltered wines using a commercial soil DNA extraction kit. Although there is no official definition of ‘natural wine’, these wines are generally produced with minimal additions and little or no filtration, potentially allowing greater expression of terroir.

An initial extraction protocol based on wine centrifugation was assessed, followed by modified protocols incorporating salt and ethanol precipitation to improve DNA recovery. DNA concentration and purity were evaluated using NanoDrop spectrophotometry and Qubit, while DNA integrity was assessed using genomic gel electrophoresis. Bacterial and fungal PCR were also used to determine whether extracted DNA was suitable for downstream molecular analysis.