The Yeast Cell Factory

Yeast is traditionally known for its use in the production of bread and alcohol however, this versatile microorganism is capable of much more. Yeast cells can be thought of as mini factories – when fed with nutrients (sugar) and programmed in certain way, they produce valuable products in return. Researchers in the EU-funded project CHASSY are finding innovative ways of using yeast in new methods of production that are more sustainable and less environmentally damaging than current methods. To demonstrate the transformative power of yeast cells, we recorded an experiment by CHASSY researcher and PhD student Noemi Montini on using immobilised yeast cells to convert sucrose into glucose and fructose.