Structure and sucrose hydrolysis activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae aggregates

The sucrose hydrolysis activity of dense spherical yeast flocs, cultivated on a sucrose medium in a continuous reactor with internal settler, is nearly proportional to the particle surface. From computer simulation, in good agreement with experimental determinations, the calculated sucrose penetration depth is in the range 0.2-0.3 mm, a dimension smaller than the usual diameter of strongly flocculating yeast particles. From specific gravity determinations, the flocs can be considered as homogeneous and cannot exhibit a fractal structure, reported in the literature for a number of microbial aggregates. However, the analysis of the sucrose hydrolysis rates reveals that the cell density may be lower in the outer layer of the flocs.