Abstract: Through adapting in steam-exploded corn stalk hydrolysate, Pichia stipitis was capable of fermenting xylose to ethanol in presence of inhibitory components. The xylose consumption rate and the ethanol yield were 94.1% and 82.1%, respectively. Fermentation started at initial xylose concentrations of 30, 45 and 60 g/L. It was found that 45 g/L had a higher average ethanol productivity and a lower average biomass productivity. According to carbon balance and carbon metabolic effluence analysis, the carbon recovery was 89.7%, and 48.5% of carbon was converted to ethanol in the hydrolysate of 51.6 g/L xylose for 36 h.

Key words: Pichia stipitis, adaptation, xylose, ethanol, inhibitors