He explained that the amount of resveratrol in varies in different bottles of wine, as it depends on growing conditions for the grapes and other variables. The researchers felt they could design a beer with higher, and consistent concentrations of the cancer-fighting chemical.

The students, using their own Dell, and Gateway laptops, are now in the process of developing a genetically modified strain of yeast that will ferment beer and produce resveratrol at the same time. Stevenson said that as the research advances, the team will need to use one of 's computer grids to run compute-heavy genetic models.

The Rice effort is the latest in a series of projects that use technology to find cures to major health concerns like cancer and heart disease.

In August, scientists at in Palo Alto, Calif. announced that they have found a way to use nanotechnology to have chemotherapy drugs , keeping healthy tissue safe from the treatment's toxic effects.

And in July, university researchers at the reported that they had discovered a way to use " to streamline lower doses of chemotherapy to cancerous tumors, cutting down on the cancer's ability to spread throughout the body.