Improved synchronous light scattering method for measuring baker's yeast biomass using thickened suspensions.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Microbiology

Background:

• Accurate measurement of yeast biomass is critical for optimizing microbial fermentation processes.
• Synchronous light scattering (SLS) has shown potential for quantifying bioparticles like Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• Yeast cell settlement during measurement can affect the reliability of SLS signals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an improved synchronous light scattering (SLS) method for accurate yeast biomass estimation.
• To address the challenge of yeast cell settlement in liquid suspensions during SLS measurements.
• To enhance the stability and sensitivity of SLS for practical biomass quantification.

Main Methods:

• An improved synchronous light scattering (SLS) method was developed using a spectrofluorometer.
• Hydrolysis anionic polyacrylamide was added to yeast suspensions to stabilize cells and prevent settlement.
• Simultaneous scanning of excitation and emission monochromators at Δλ = 0 was employed.

Main Results:

• The developed SLS method demonstrated a linear relationship between SLS intensity and yeast concentration (0–4.9 × 10^6 cells/mL) with R² = 0.9907.
• A low detection limit of 8.1 × 10^3 cells/mL was achieved.
• The method showed good stability and sensitivity in recovery tests and during growth curve monitoring.

Conclusions:

• The improved SLS method provides a stable, sensitive, and accurate approach for yeast biomass estimation.
• The stabilization of yeast cells using hydrolysis anionic polyacrylamide is key to the method's success.
• This technique holds significant potential for practical applications in microbial fermentation and bioprocess monitoring.