Ethanol production at elevated temperatures and alcohol concentrations: Part II - Use of Kluyveromyces marxianus IMB3

It is clear that only a small proportion of all micro-organisms have been i solated and identified. The simple technique of seeking a thermotolerant fe rmentative yeast from a suitable hot environment has yielded a number of st rains. These organisms, identified as strains of Kluyveromyces marxianus va r. marxianus, have been shown to have a wide range of metabolic capabilitie s that could be used in industrial applications. Not only have the metaboli c capabilities been elucidated but possible bioreactor configurations and p rocess application options have been investigated. It appears that there ar e a number of specific situations where this thermotolerant yeast could fin d industrial applications. A full-scale industrial ethanol production trial using this yeast was successfully carried out in India. K. marxianus IMB3' s performance in terms of the ethanol concentrations achieved was comparabl e to that obtained using the distillery's own yeast strain with an added ad vantage of eliminating cooling.