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Updated: May 16, 2026

Genetic Engineering of an Unconventional Yeast for Renewable Biofuel and Biochemical Production
Published on: September 20, 2016
Teaching nutritional biochemistry: an experimental approach using yeast
Manuel Alonso1, Carlos A Stella
1Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Ciclo Básico Común, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. m_alonso@live.com.ar
Abstract:
In this report, we present a practical approach to teaching several topics in nutrition to science students at the high school and college freshmen levels. This approach uses baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a biological system model. The diameters of yeast colonies, which vary according to the nutrients present in the medium, can be observed, compared, and used to teach metabolic requirements. The experiments described in this report show simple macroscopic evidence of submicroscopic nutritional events. This can serve as a useful base for an analogy of heterotrophic human cell nutrition.
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