Mass spectrometer monitoring of a yeast fermentation

Journal Article · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1979 · Enzyme Eng.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3749-2_11· OSTI ID:7012945

Weaver, J C; Perley, C R; Cooney, C L

A flow-through membrane based mass spectrometer is employed for the purpose of monitoring and controlling fermentations. A sample stream in either the gaseous or liquid phase can be continuously passed through the interface, with a fraction of the volatile compounds transferred into the spectrometer. For the monitoring of alcohol fermentation employing bakers' yeast, a water-saturated carrier gas (N/sub 2/) is bubbled through the fermentation broth and readings taken at 15 min intervals to measure EtOH and CO/sub 2/ at m (ion peak mass) = 31 and m = 44, respectively. In experiments in which cell growth was followed using both optical density and base addition., essentially all CO/sub 2/ was in the volatile dissolved form at pH=4.5 so that the mass spectometer current at m = 44 provided approximately a measurement of CO/sub 2/ production rate. For the much less volatile dissolved EtOH, only a small fraction of the EtOH was acquired by the carrier gas, with the result that the m = 31 current provided a measurement of dissolved EtOH concentration. The EtOH signal was approximately an integral of the EtOH production rate.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst Technol, Cambridge, MA USA
• OSTI ID: 7012945
• Journal Information: Enzyme Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: Enzyme Eng.; (United States) Vol. 5; ISSN ENEND
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ALCOHOLS
BIOCONVERSION
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
ETHANOL
FERMENTATION
FUNGI
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MEMBRANES
MICROORGANISMS
MONITORING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PRODUCTION
SPECTROSCOPY
YEASTS