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Who knew a brew could be good for you?

College students are known to have a fondness for that frosty blend of fermented barley and hops known affectionately as a brew. Rice University students are no exception — except that they take their beer seriously. They downright study it. In fact, a group of them are using genetic engineering to create brewer’s yeast that fortifies beer with resveratrol, an antioxidant found in wine that’s been proven to reduce the incidence of cancer and heart disease in lab animals. The students entered their design strategy for “BioBeer” into the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition in November and were rewarded with a gold medal and second place for best presentation. And although it will be some time before the brew is ready to market, the media has already toasted the students’ work heartily. An alcoholic beverage that could improve the health of Joe Six-packs everywhere? We’ll drink to that.