Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Techniques for the Evolution of Robust Pentose-fermenting Yeast for Bioconversion of Lignocellulose to Ethanol
Published on: October 24, 2016
Yeast species involved in artisanal cachaça fermentation in three stills with different technological levels in
Meiriana Xavier Vila Nova1, Alexandre Ricardo Pereira Schuler, Bereneuza Tavares Ramos Valente Brasileiro
1Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Moraes Rego, 1235 Cidade Universitária, 50.670-901, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Abstract:
Both the taste and aroma of cachaça, an alcoholic beverage produced by yeast fermentation of sugar cane, are influenced by yeast metabolites and volatiles. The knowledge of yeast population dynamics during the fermentation process will help to establish the basis for quality control of alcoholic beverage. In the present work, the population dynamics of three fermentation processes, with differing levels of technological sophistication, were studied. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to be the dominant species, but Candida milleri (Candida humilis), Pichia caribbica, Pichia guilliermondii and Zygosaccharomyces fermentati (Lachancea fermentati) were also significantly involved. In addition, four new yeast species that are not represented in NCBI/EMBL nucleotide database were found. These yeasts were classified as Candida sp., Candida drosophilae-like, Candida ubatubensis-like and Zygosaccharomyces sp. In fermentation trails at laboratory scale, all species were found to contribute to the production of volatiles. Thus it is probable that product quality is strongly dependent on population dynamics during the fermentation process.
Related Concept Videos
Production of Alcohol
Microbes in Beverage Production
Microbial Fermentation
Bioreactor Controls-III
Microbes in the Production of Fermented Foods
Fermentation
Fermentation is a type of metabolic process that occurs in the absence of oxygen, where organic molecules such as glucose are broken down to produce energy. During this process, the...

