"Yeast cells, disjointe (left) and (right) yeast cells in a sugar broth." is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Redesign Your LociWhat are the consequences of enhancing thermotolerance in yeast species like S. cerevisiae?
Andrew Daly
(NC State University)
Raising the operating temperature of yeast used in biofuel production can have many positive consequences for both industrial and environmental sustainability.
Though most people may imagine biofuel production plants to be made up of large cooling towers and chemical pools, there may be an element with which they are more familiar - yeast. These microorganisms can play a key role in producing ethanol with only a bit of feedstock in the form of simple sugars. However, as with all living things, these organic factories require very specific operating conditions to survive and thrive which do not always mesh well with the manufacturing and processing environment. In order to ease this burden on the biofuel production plants, enhancing the operating temperature of these yeasts is a top priority.
Learning objectives
- Understand the role that yeast strains play in the biofuel industry.
- Explain how adaptive laboratory evolution works.
- Critically analyze multiple scientific sources for benefits and drawbacks of this technology.