Enhancement of ethanol production and cell growth in budding yeast by direct irradiation of low-temperature plasma

Abstract

Ethanol production by budding yeast was compared between direct and indirect plasma irradiation. We observed enhancement of ethanol production and cell growth not by indirect plasma irradiation but by direct plasma irradiation. Glucose consumption was increased in budding yeast by direct plasma irradiation. Extracellular flux analysis revealed that glycolytic activity in the budding yeast was elevated by direct plasma irradiation. These results suggest that direct plasma irradiation enhances ethanol production in budding yeast by elevating the glycolytic activity.