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Maximizing the productivity of catalytic biofilms on solid supports in membrane aerated reactors
Author(s) -
Halan Babu,
Schmid Andreas,
Buehler Katja
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.22732
Subject(s) - aeration , productivity , biofilm , catalysis , membrane reactor , chemistry , biochemical engineering , chemical engineering , bioreactor , membrane , environmental science , pulp and paper industry , biology , bacteria , biochemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , economics , genetics , macroeconomics
A new solid support membrane aerated biofilm reactor was designed for the synthesis of enantiopure ( S )‐styrene oxide utilizing Pseudomonas sp. strain VLB120ΔC growing in a biofilm as biocatalyst. In analogy to traditional packed bed systems, maximizing the volumetric oxygen mass transfer capability ( k L a ) was identified as the most critical issue enabling a consistent productivity, as this parameter was shown to directly influence biofilm growth and biotransformation performance. A microporous ceramic unit was identified as an ideal microenvironment for biofilm growth and for efficient oxygen transfer. A uniform and dense biofilm developed on this matrix. Due to this dual function, the reactor configuration could be significantly simplified by eliminating additional packing materials, as used in traditional packed bed reactors. Up to now, a maximum productivity of 28 g L ab −1 day −1 was achieved by integrating an in situ substrate feed and an in situ product recovery technique based on a silicone membrane. The system was stable for more than 30 days before it was actively terminated. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;106: 516–527. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.