Monitoring biotechnological processes through quantitative image analysis: Application to 2-phenylethanol production by Yarrowia lipolytica

Quantitative image analysis (QIA) is a simple and automated tool for process monitoring that, when combined with chemometric techniques, enables the association of changes in microbiota morphology to various operational parameters. To that effect, principal component analysis, multilinear regression, ordinary least squares methods were applied obtained dataset biotransformation conditions Y. lipolytica through monitor yeast morphology, substrates (glycerol, L-phenylalanine - L-Phe) consumption metabolites (2-phenylethanol – 2-PE) production was developed. Glycerol L-Phe successfully monitored by proposed approach, though lower ability 2-PE, mostly related cluster size proportion, yeasts contents morphology. The approach also allowed identify significant morphological modifications change stirring speed experiments at 600 rpm, 600/400 rpm (600 24 h, 400 until end experiment) pH from 5.5 7.5. This work demonstrated, first time, QIA can be considered valuable biotechnological processes, namely 2-PE lipolytica, analyzing