Genetic and physiological alterations occurring in a yeast population continuously propagated at increasing temperatures with cell recycling

Statistical prediction of interactions between low concentrations of inhibitors on yeast cells responses added to the SD-medium at low pH values

BACKGROUND

In the present work, the main inhibitors of the yeast cells (vanillin, furfural, formic, and levulinic acid) were generated by pretreatments or hydrolysis (sulfuric acid or enzymes) to convert reducing sugars into ethanol. Inhibitors were added at increasing concentrations to the SD-medium containing yeast extract while negative effects on yeast cells were observed. Statistical analyses were applied to predict and interpret results related to biomass production.

RESULTS

Inhibitors affected productivities and yields of biomass and ethanol when added to SD-medium. Based on the 2³ full-central-composite design, "predicted" and "observed" values of ethanol and biomass were obtained in presence of the major inhibitors, which were acetic acid, formic acid, and levulinic acids. Increases in biomass and ethanol production are described in the Response surface graphs (RSM graphs) that resulted from multiple interactions between inhibitors. Positive interactions between the inhibitors occurred at low concentrations and pH values. The results were experimentally validated.

CONCLUSIONS

Statistical analysis is an extremely useful tool for predicting data during process monitoring, while re-adjustments of conditions can be performed, whenever necessary. In addition, the development of new strains of yeast with high tolerance to biomass inhibitors will have a major impact on the production of second-generation ethanol. Increases in fermentation activity of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a mixture containing low concentrations of inhibitors were observed.

Optimization of temperature, sugar concentration, and inoculum size to maximize ethanol production without significant decrease in yeast cell viability

Aiming to obtain rapid fermentations with high ethanol yields and a retention of high final viabilities (responses), a 2(3) full-factorial central composite design combined with response surface methodology was employed using inoculum size, sucrose concentration, and temperature as independent variables. From this statistical treatment, two well-fitted regression equations having coefficients significant at the 5% level were obtained to predict the viability and ethanol production responses. Three-dimensional response surfaces showed that increasing temperatures had greater negative effects on viability than on ethanol production. Increasing sucrose concentrations improved both ethanol production and viability. The interactions between the inoculum size and the sucrose concentrations had no significant effect on viability. Thus, the lowering of the process temperature is recommended in order to minimize cell mortality and maintain high levels of ethanol production when the temperature is on the increase in the industrial reactor. Optimized conditions (200 g/l initial sucrose, 40 g/l of dry cell mass, 30 degrees C) were experimentally confirmed and the optimal responses are 80.8 +/- 2.0 g/l of maximal ethanol plus a viability retention of 99.0 +/- 3.0% for a 4-h fermentation period. During consecutive fermentations with cell reuse, the yeast cell viability has to be kept at a high level in order to prevent the collapse of the process.