Temperature-dependent kinetic model for a xylose/glucose mixture fermentation by yeast Spathaspora passalidarum NRRL Y-27907

To control the operation of fermentation processes, it is necessary to understand the kinetics of cell growth, substrate consumption, and product formation. Moreover, the temperature is an essential variable in fermentation processes, as it is a difficult parameter to be controlled in large-scale industrial processes due to the size of fermentation tanks and the dynamics of the process. In recent years, Spathaspora passalidarum has been studied due to its ability to consume C5 and C6 sugars. The main objective was to develop a kinetic model able to describe cell formation, glucose, and xylose consumption, and ethanol production at different temperatures. To determine the best kinetic parameters, we have developed simulation tool (global and local algorithm) that adjusts the simulated data to the experimental result from batch fermentations at 26, 27, 28, 30, and 32 ºC. The parameters obtained from the simulation had a good degree of adjustment, obtaining r2 higher than 0.9900 (for cell, substrates, and ethanol). The constructed kinetic model efficiently described fermentations in the range of temperature studied. Regarding parameters adjustment, maximum specific growth rate by xylose and maximum specific production rates by xylose and glucose could be adjusted to a third-degree polynomial with a high adjustment degree.