Cultivation of Acetobacter xylinum for bacterial cellulose production in a modified airlift reactor.
Acetobacter xylinum for bacterial cellulose production was cultivated in a modified airlift reactor. Better results were obtained from the modified reactor than from a conventional bubble column. After 72 h of cultivation, the final concentration of bacterial cellulose was 7.72 g/l and the productivity was 0.107 g/l per h in the modified airlift reactor. The concentration of bacterial cellulose was about three times higher than that produced in the conventional bubble column. Moreover, the bacterial cellulose produced using the modified reactor formed a unique elliptical pellet (the average diameter was 10 mm), which is different from the fibrous form produced using the stirred-tank reactor. The modified airlift reactor with the suspended bacterial cellulose in pellet form had a higher volumetric oxygen-transfer coefficient and mixing capability than that with bacterial cellulose in fibrous form. The dissolved oxygen in the modified airlift reactor could be maintained above 35% throughout the cultivation.
Cheng
Hai-Peng
HP
Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30043, Taiwan, ROC.
Wang
Pei-Ming
PM
Chen
Jech-Wei
JW
Wu
Wen-Teng
WT
D019149:Bioreactors; D002482:Cellulose / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D041822:Gluconacetobacter xylinus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development
D002482:Cellulose