Light Mediated Yeast Cell Growth and Metabolism

  • Dowd Jr, Christopher J. (Vanderbilt University) ;
  • Tanner, Robert D. (Vanderbilt University)
  • Published : 1991.11.01

Abstract

In this paper the effect of light on non-aerated Baker's Yeast(Saccharomyces cereuisiae) production and the protein excretion to the extracellular fluid is studied. Previous results in our laboratory indicate that at pH=5 and T-32$^{\circ}C$ yeast may be affected by light, but those differences seem to be within statistical variation of the data. In this paper, cell and extracellular protein concentrations along with redox potential are monitored for batch fermentations in the presence and absence of light at pH levels of 3 and 5 and at 31$^{\circ}C$, in order to explore whether possible light effects can be more readily discerned at lower pH values. Yeast particle size distributions are also determined over the course of fermentation using a particle counter in order to add one more measuring tool to our usual cell and total protein measurements. An apparently noticeable difference in the redox potential is observed between the light and the dark runs for early times for the pH=3 runs. The particle size distributions show differences in the particle diameters between light and dark runs at pH=3, but those differences fall within one standard deviation of the mean particle diameters.

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