Ethanol production by thermotolerant yeast and its UV resistant mutants

Six thermotolerant yeasts were isolated at 37 degrees C from over-ripe grapes by serial dilution technique using glucose yeast extract medium. Purified yeast cultures were screened for ethanol production at 37 degrees C by batch fermentation, using cane molasses containing 20% sugars. Sugar conversion efficiency of these isolates varied from 66.0 to 88.5% and ethanol productivity from 1.11 to 1.73 ml/l/h. The highest ethanol producing isolate was exposed to UV radiations and 13 mutants were picked up from the UV treatment exhibiting 0.1 to 1.0%, survival. The UV mutants varied in cell size from parent as well as among themselves. Determination of ethanol produced by all the mutants revealed that only five mutants resulted in 4.5 to 6.2% increase in sugar conversion and 8.25 to 18.56% increase in ethanol concentration coupled with maximum ethanol productivity of 2.4 ml/l/h in 48 h of batch fermentation of cane molasses (20% sugars) at 37 degrees C temperature.