Question

Yield calculations, to decide between using a bacterium and a yeast for your fermentation, so you decide to use your bioprocess engineering know-how to make some estimates. Assuming the following overall biomass reactions and an equal respiratory quotient (RQ) of 0.5 for both organisms, which organism will most efficiently use its substrate to create biomass? Calculate yield coefficients (in terms of mass) to justify your answer. Assume MWsubstrate = 180.

Bacterium (MWbiomass = 25.5):

Yeast (MWbiomass = 24):

Answer 1

Yield coefficient is the ratio of amount of biomass produced to the amount of substrate consumed

Yield coefficient of bacterium=25.5/180

=.14

Yield coefficinet of yeast=24/180

=.13

The bacterum will use substrate most efficiently to create biomass.