Physiological characterization of a microbial sensor containing the yeast Arxula adeninivorans LS3

The yeast Arxula adeninivorans LS3 is a suitable organism for use as part of a microbial sensor. In combination with an amperometric oxygen electrode the sensor offered a possibility for the physiological characterization of this yeast. About 300-400 measurements could be carried out with a single Arxula sensor. The microbial sensor was remarkably stable for over 35 days, when kept at 37 °C during the operation time and at room temperature overnight. The physiological characteristics of Arxula adeninivorans LS3 obtained with the sensor technique were identical to the data obtained with the conventional techniques. However, the sensor technique makes it additionally possible to quantify the physiological data. So the substrates ribose, citric acid, glycerol, oil and benzoate produced signals lower than 10% in comparison to the glucose signal. Fructose, xylose, sucrose, maltose, gentianose, glucosamine, glutamic acid, tryptophan, butyric acid, lauryl acid and propionic acid reached 10-70%, galactose, alanine, glycine, lysine and methionine signals were similar to the glucose signal whereas acetic acid, ethyl alcohol, capron acid, capryl acid and caproic acid reached the highest signals up to 434%.