Ethanol production by repeated-batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of alkali-treated rice straw using immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells

Repeated-batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of alkali-treated rice straw using immobilized yeast was developed to produce ethanol. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells were immobilized by entrapping in photocrosslinkable resin beads, and we evaluated the possibility of its reuse and ethanol production ability. In batch SSF of 20% (w/w) rice straw, the ethanol yields based on the glucan content of the immobilized cells were slightly low (76.9% of the theoretical yield) compared to free cells (85.2% of the theoretical yield). In repeated-batch SSF of 20% (w/w) rice straw, stable ethanol production of approx. 38 g L−1 and an ethanol yield of 84.7% were obtained. The immobilizing carrier could be reused without disintegration or any negative effect on ethanol production ability.