Changes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae development induced by magnetic fields

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultures exposed to 110 mT and 220 mT steady magnetic fields (SMF) were studied to observe eventual induced growth alterations and changes in metabolic activity. Cell mass (biomass) growth was evaluated by light spectrometry, and metabolic alterations were estimated on the basis of the CO2 pressure produced and by the culture media pH changes, measured at the beginning and the end of the observation. The yeast strain DAUFPE-1012, cultivated in a nonaerated liquid agar Sabouraud glucose medium, was exposed to SMF generated by NdFeBr magnets. Results showed alterations induced by 220 mT SMF as an increment in cell proliferation (1.84%) and an increased CO2 production (36.1%) as compared to control groups. Furthermore, the initial-to-final pH difference in 220 mT SMF exposed cultures was higher than the 110 mT SMF and the control values. The whole acidification and the rise in CO2 production observed after 220 mT SMF exposure did not correspond to the biomass growth values, as compared to the other cultures, and was apparently provoked by a enhancement in the cellular metabolic rate. This technique becomes very promising for future biotechnological applications in fermentative processes.