Yeast-powered microfluidic pump based on a four-parameter fermentation model

초록

Baker’s yeast is a common microorganism that is well-known for its fermentation activities. The fermentation process naturally produces CO2, leading to a gradual increase in internal pressure within sealed environments. Meanwhile, passive pumps are rising in the microfluidics field for their simplicity, low energy requirements, and suitability for portable and disposable devices. Here, we harnessed yeast fermentation as a biological power source for a passive pump, enabling fluid flow in microfluidic systems. This approach introduces a cost-effective solution and extends the concept of passive pumping into the realm of biological systems. The custom mechanical pump operates by converting the gas pressure generated by fermentation into continuous fluid movement. The dynamics of gas production within the pump were analyzed experimentally to characterize performance over time. The resulting six-parameter and four-parameter equations accurately capture the experimental trends within the validated operating range. This model was further extended to a simplified two-parameter form—using only yeast mass and sucrose concentration—making the pump setup more intuitive. This biologically driven pump concept holds potential for expansion into autonomous microfluidic devices, especially for space orbital experiment modules, educational tools, or low-resource settings where external power sources are limited.

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