Whole cell immobilization as a means of enhancing ethanol tolerance

Cell immobilization by covalent linkage to an epoxide derivative of hydroxyalkyl methacrylate gel via glutaraldehydediamine spacers improves the tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells to ethanol. This was attributed to membrane compositional changes accompanying this mode of cell attachment. The stability of the membrane alterations was tested under salt stress, and the character of stimuli inducing the phenotype changes of attached cells is discussed.