What is one advantage of using yeast in bioproduction?

Using yeast in bioproduction offers several advantages, one of which is its rapid growth and ability to perform post-translational modifications. Yeast, particularly species like Saccharomyces cerevisiae, can double its population in just a couple of hours under optimal conditions, allowing for large-scale production of proteins, enzymes, and other metabolites in a relatively short time frame.

Additionally, yeast can perform post-translational modifications, such as glycosylation, which are crucial for the proper functioning of many eukaryotic proteins. This ability is significant because many therapeutic proteins require these modifications for their biological activity, and using yeast can help facilitate their production in a system closer to that found in higher organisms.

In contrast, the long growth cycles associated with some other microbial systems would not provide the same efficiency, while extreme conditions might limit the use of various organisms or lead to slower processes. High energy requirements are typically a disadvantage in bioproduction, as they can increase the cost of production and resource consumption. Therefore, the rapid growth and capability for post-translational modifications position yeast as a highly effective organism for bioproduction.