At the beginning of December, another event took place in the bioprocess engineering and microbiology laboratories at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences as part of the student academy on the topic of "Fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae". The pupils from various grammar schools (Löbau, Bautzen Hoyerswerda, Zittau, Wilthen) from the area of the Saxon Education Agency, Regional Office Bautzen were able to carry out the fermentation of baker's yeast themselves. As part of the experiment, a bioreactor (fermenter) was put into operation by the participants and the growth of the yeasts was observed under varying process conditions. Accompanying the experiment, the participants were able to determine the concentration of the microorganisms by means of various analyses using the samples they took themselves, and to assess the vitality of the cells themselves by means of fluorescence microscopy after previous staining. The participants also carried out chemical analyses themselves using the 
color detection reaction to determine glucose content. The students were given an insight into everyday laboratory work and prepared media themselves, prepared dilution series, tried their hand at pipetting, centrifuging and absorbance measurements. The necessary knowledge was imparted step by step by the supervising university staff on site and numerous questions were answered. The event was rounded off with a small snack and a pleasant discussion.
Contact:
Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences
Biotechnology Department
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Toni Baloun
t.baloun(at)hszg.de