Non-Invasive Characterization of Different Saccharomyces Suspensions with Ultrasound

In fermentation processes, changes in yeast cell count and substrate concentration are indicators of yeast performance. Therefore, monitoring the composition of the biological suspension, particularly the dispersed solid phase (i.e., yeast cells) and the continuous liquid phase (i.e., medium), is a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2024-09, Vol.24 (19), p.6271
Main Authors: Geier, Dominik, Mailänder, Markus, Whitehead, Iain, Becker, Thomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aqueous solutions
Biomass
Breweries
cell count
Ethanol
Fermentation
Methods
Microscopy
non-invasive measurement
Saccharomyces
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Sensors
Spectrum analysis
Sucrose
Suspensions
Temperature
ultrasonic characterization
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasonic Waves
Ultrasonics - methods
Velocity
Yeast
yeast concentration
yeast suspensions
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Summary:In fermentation processes, changes in yeast cell count and substrate concentration are indicators of yeast performance. Therefore, monitoring the composition of the biological suspension, particularly the dispersed solid phase (i.e., yeast cells) and the continuous liquid phase (i.e., medium), is a prerequisite to ensure favorable process conditions. However, the available monitoring methods are often invasive or restricted by detection limits, sampling requirements, or susceptibility to masking effects from interfering signals. In contrast, ultrasound measurements are non-invasive and provide real-time data. In this study, the suitability to characterize the dispersed and the liquid phase of yeast suspensions with ultrasound was investigated. The ultrasound signals collected from three commercially available yeast were evaluated and compared. For all three yeasts, the attenuation coefficient and speed of sound increased linearly with increasing yeast concentrations (0.0-1.0 wt%) and cell counts (R > 0.95). Further characterization of the dispersed phase revealed that cell diameter and volume density influence the attenuation of the ultrasound signal, whereas changes in the speed of sound were partially attributed to compositional variations in the liquid phase. This demonstrates the ability of ultrasound to monitor industrial fermentations and the feasibility of developing targeted control strategies.
ISSN:1424-8220
1424-8220
DOI:10.3390/s24196271