Increased efficiency of substrate utilization by exposure of the thermotolerant yeast strain, Kluyveromyces marxianus IMB3 to electric-field stimulation

In order to enhance cellobiose utilization and conversion of substrate to ethanol by the thermotolerant yeast strain, Kluyveromyces marxianus IMB3, the organism was exposed to short, intense electric pulses. When cells were treated with pulses measuring 0.25kV for 10mS, in the presence of cellobiose, ethanol production was found to increase by almost 40% above that found in fermentations containing non-treated cells. When the extracellular culture filtrate was assayed for β-glucosidase activity no significant difference in levels was detected between treated and control systems. Increasing the voltage of the pulses resulted in a decrease in ethanol production.