University officials unveiled MillerCoors' $100,000 brewing equipment donation to the UW-Madison bacteriology department at the Microbial Sciences Building Wednesday.
The brewing equipment will be used in a new bacteriology lab for a beer fermentation course. UW-Madison undergraduate and graduate students can participate in the course in the 2009 spring semester. Directors hope to create another course for students and community members to learn the practical uses of fermentation.
Chancellor Carolyn Biddy"" Martin spoke during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday about the outcome of the donation.
""This collaboration is made to benefit, first and foremost, the students,"" she said.
According to Brandy Day, a senior majoring in microbiology, prerequisites for the new course include organic chemistry, biochemistry and introduction to microbiology.
With the implementation of a fermentation course, professors and directors in the bacteriology department said there were initial concerns about legal issues.
Jon Roll, future professor of the fermentation course, as well as Day eliminated legal controversy over the brewing equipment by obtaining brewing permits.
""We certainly have talked about the legal requirements, but for tasting you must be 21 and we have received proper alcohol permits,"" Roll said.
Michael Pariza, a food science professor in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, emphasized the safety of the course.
""You can assure students this will not be out on the parking lot on the weekend,"" he said. ""There was some concern that someone could misuse it, but it will be just used only for research.""
Collaborators said the bond between MillerCoors and UW-Madison is intended to profit both institutions.
""We wanted to partner with UW-Madison, which we regard as the foremost of research and educational institutes to help build young scientists for the future,"" David Ryder, vice president of brewing and research at MillerCoors, said.
Those involved in the collaboration have great hopes for the future of fermentation at UW-Madison.
""Right now there is just one course being offered, but there is the hope of more curriculum development '¦ the science of fermentation has great ramifications beyond just fermented beverages,"" said Doug Bradley, assistant director of marketing and communications.
