My Journey with Yeast

Abstract

Advances in yeast biotechnology rely on the application of knowledge gained using modern biotechnological tools to harness the metabolic repertoire of various yeast genera that have been studied in detail. In my work, I have attempted to combine knowledge gained from academic research with industrial knowhow in practical cost-effective ways to scale up commercial yeast fermentations from one hundred thousand to greater than one million liters. Among the processes I scaled up and/or optimized to production scale include biofuels, chemicals, food and feed additives. During a long industrial career that spanned over three decades, I leveraged what was often very challenging work with many academic, government, and industrial scientists engaging them in collaborative research to ensure a successful outcome. Many of these collaborators responded in kind and are part of this narrative. In many ways, my journey was also theirs. However, I acquired the scientific foundation or starting point much earlier during my undergraduate studies learning from great professors that helped me understand the complexity of science while convincing me of the value of pursuing research as a career.

Keywords: industrial scale fermentation; yeast biotechnology.