Continuous ethanol production from glucose using Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized on fluidized microcarriers

The feasibildty was explored of employing biofluidized bed (BFB) technology based on immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae for continuous ethanol production from glucose. Long-term, steady and effective performance of ethanol production and glucose utilization is achievable in the BFB reactor when porous microcarriers are used to immobilize and retain yeast cells. More than two- thirds of the total reactor yeast cell mass was immobilized. Zero-order kinetics for ethanol production and glucose utilization existed at bulk liquid glucose concentrations greater than 1 g L⁻¹. Ethanol inhibition of yeast cells was absent at bulk liquid ethanol concentrations as high as 78 g L⁻¹.