How do different concentrations of dextrose affect CO₂ production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae?

Abstract

Yeast reproduces asexually, resulting in fermentation. In fermentation, sugars break down into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This experiment tests and analyzes how different concentrations of dextrose affect CO₂ production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as baker's yeast. We hypothesized that a higher concentration of dextrose will result in the yeast producing a higher quantity of CO₂. This was tested by placing baker's yeast, H₂O, a buffer of sodium phosphate, and different concentrations of dextrose into a biochamber. A controlled concentration of 2% dextrose was tested followed by concentrations of 3.5% and 5%. A CO₂ probe and LoggerPro were utilized to collect the data for each 600-second trial. The collected data showed that the average CO2 production for the trials decreased with the higher concentrations of dextrose. Overall, the results did not support our hypothesis. This information will be useful to the brewing and baking industry as it can help predict how different amounts of sugar would affect yeast fermentation.