title: Experimental simulation of oxygen profiles and their influence on baker's yeast production: I. One-fermentor system.
abstract: In production-scale bioreactors microorganisms are exposed to a continually changing environment. This may cause loss of viability, reduction of the yield of biomass or desired metabolites, and an increase in the formation of by-products. In fed-batch production of baker's yeast, profiles may occur in substrate and oxygen concentrations and in pH. This article deals with the influence of a periodically changing oxygen concentration on the growth of baker's yeast in a continuous culture. Also, influences on the production of ethanol, glycerol, acetic acid, and on the composition of the cells were investigated. It was found that relatively fast fluctuations between oxygen-unlimited and oxygen-limited conditions with a frequency of 1 or 2 min had a distinct influence on the biomass and metabolite production. However, RNA, protein, and carbohydrate contents measured in cells exposed to fluctuations differed little from those in cells from an oxygen-unlimited or an oxygen-limited culture. The respiration and fermentation capacities of cells exposed to fluctuations can be larger than the capacities of cells grown under oxygen-unlimited conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Sweere
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mesters
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Janse
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Luyben
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Kossen