Screening of Bacterial Cellulose-producingAcetobacterStrains Suitable for Agitated Culture

Extensive screening for cellulose-producing Acetobacter strains suitable for agitated culture was done by developing the screening conditions. A total of 2096 strains were isolated; isolation from fruits was particularly efficient. The cellulose productivities of 412 isolates were estimated by culturing in two different media under both shaken and static conditions. No correlation between the amounts of cellulose accumulated in shaken and static cultures was observed. Higher cellulose accumulation was obtained in the shaken cultures using a corn steep liquor/fructose-based medium than a conventional yeast extract/peptone/glucose-based one. Many isolates showed higher cellulose accumulation than well-known cellulose-producing strains. The producer that yielded the highest cellulose accumulation in shaken culture was selected and named Acetobacter sp. BPR 2001. Using this strain, cellulose was produced in a jar fermentor.