title: Steroid transformation in a laboratory-scale glass air-lift fermenter.
abstract: A glass airlift fermenter, 1550 ml working volume, was used for microbiological transformation of phytosterols. A gas hold-up of 1.6% was observed with the lowest superficial gas velocity (1.89 cm/s). The volumetric liquid circulation rate remained relatively constant (0.21 l/s to 0.23 l/s) for superficial gas velocity values up to 11.37 cm/s. A 72% conversion of sitosterol to 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione was obtained.
authors.affiliation: the Department of Fermentation Technology, Central Drug Research Institute, 226 001, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Basu