The task of creating a more aromatic wine has of late preoccupied members of Hebrew University's Faculty of Food Sciences Department in Rechovot. Along with several students, Dr. Oded Shoseyov and Prof. Ben-Ami Bravdo have isolated a gene that produces an enzyme called "beta-glucosidase." The enzyme, produced naturally in fungi, is able to break down and release the aromatic substances in wine. By introducing this gene into wine yeast through genetic engineering, the scientists created a wine yeast that produces the beta-glucosidase in large quantities. This technology may be utilized to produce wines with richer aroma than would normally be expected. Dr. Shoseyov says he hopes to be able to do the same with vegetables and fruits, such as apples and table grapes, in order to improve their flavor. Dr. Shoseyov has a familial connection with his research: he's from a family of vintners, among those who established Rehovot as a vine-growing community.