Improvement of ethanol production by electrochemical redox combination of yeast cells

Electrolytic cell are used for enhancement in produ ction of microbial products. Ethanol is produced as one of the renewable source of energy for which one can use even waste products like lignocellulosic biomass. S election of best ethanol producing yeast strain and best ethanol tolerant yeast cell i s first priority for optimized production. Out of eight yeast strains isolated in Central Department of Biotechnology (CDBT). strain CDBT 2 showed good eth anol tolerance with maximum growth even at 8% ethanol. Thebest ethanol tolerant strain CDBT 2 found to grow till 18% ethanol. Total ethanol production by CDBT 2 was found to enhance by about 15±0.12% than control without supply of 4V external energy when glucose was used as carbohydrate source. Drastic increase i n thanol production by 129±0.877% was seen when external voltage was suppl ied in electrochemical cell with alginate immobilized yeast cells on porous gra phite cathode with or withput external voltage supply. However total enhancement is 7.0±0.056% than control w/o immobilization of yeast strain in cathode. 9.0±0.22 5% increament was observed when cathode was immobilized with neutral red with and without supply of external voltage. 30.64±0.30% and 28.67±0.344% increament in e hanol were observed when cathode were immobilized with neutral red only and neutral red followed by yeast immobilization than with normal graphite felt catho de without external voltage supply. The best ethanol tolerant yeast strain, CDB T 2 was grown in electrolytic cell at best electrode combination with lignocellulosic b omass, Saccharum spontanum , pretreated with ammonium hydroxide followed by hydr olysis with hydrochloric acid gave the ethanol production of 16.67% greater than without external voltage supply.