High cell density cultivation of Rhodococcus opacus for lipid production at a pilot-plant scale.
The triacylglycerol (TAG)-accumulating bacterium Rhodococcus opacus strain PD630 was investigated with respect to the fermentative production of TAGs consisting of an unusually high fraction of fatty acids with an odd-number of carbon atoms and unsaturated monoenic fatty acids from sugar beet molasses and sucrose. Fed-batch fermentations were optimized at the 30-1 scale in a stirred tank bioreactor at 30 degrees C using a mineral salts medium, which contained sugar beet molasses and sucrose as sole carbon sources. Approximately 37.5 g cell dry matter (CDM) per liter was the highest cell density that was obtained at that scale with a TAG content in the cells of 52%. This fermentative process was also applied to a 500-1 pilot-plant scale. Cell densities as high as 18.4 g CDM per liter were obtained, and 42% of the sucrose present in the medium was converted into cell mass which consisted of 38.4% TAGs.
Voss
I
I
Institut für Mikrobiologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany.
Steinbüchel
A
A
D001709:Biotechnology; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005285:Fermentation; D008055:Lipids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012240:Rhodococcus / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry
D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002244:Carbon