MONITORING OF BIOFILM DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF IMMOBILIZED YEAST CULTIVATIONS

A mathematical model is proposed to describe the growth dynamics of an immobilization system formed by calcium alginate pellets and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The system was used for the production of the alcoholic beverages tequila and beer. Scanning electron microscopy is employed to monitor the interactions caused by biomass growth and distribution inside the polymeric matrix support. It was found that the growth of immobilized yeast can be described by first order kinetics in the aerobic phase and by a power-law kinetic model in the anaerobic phase.