Characterization of Technologically Utilized Saccharomyces Yeast

Abstract

Saccharomyces yeasts have been used for several thousand years in production of various fermented beverages and foods. Many of the technological strains have a hybrid origin and their identification is often complicated. This article is based on a diploma thesis that focused on the characterization of 40 selected commercially available technological (brewer’s, wine, baker’s, distillery) and type yeast strains using molecular biological and phenotypic methods. The aim of this study was to select a method for species-specific identification of yeast and discrimination of yeast strains according to their technological classification. Two of the methods enabled the identification of yeast on the species-level. One sample of dried yeast intended for lager beer production was identified as top-fermenting yeast. All strains were further tested for the ability of grow at various temperatures and utilization of selected saccharides under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The ability to grow on selected sugars confirmed the considerable variability among species of the genus Saccharomyces. None of the methods under study enabled us to discriminate the yeast strains on the basis of their technological group.