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Enhancing gas‐liquid mass transfer rates in non‐newtonian fermentations by confining mycelial growth to microbeads in a bubble column
Author(s) -
Gbewonyo K.,
Wang D. I. C.
Publication year - 1983
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.260251206
Subject(s) - aeration , fermentation , mass transfer , bubble column reactor , chromatography , bubble , mycelium , bioreactor , chemistry , penicillin , mass transfer coefficient , chemical engineering , biochemistry , botany , biology , organic chemistry , gas bubble , engineering , antibiotics , parallel computing , computer science
The performance of a penicillin fermentation was assessed in a laboratory‐scale bubble column fermentor, with mycelial growth confined to the pore matrix of celite beads. Final cell densities of 29 g/L and penicillin titres of 5.5 g/L were obtained in the confined cell cultures. In comparison, cultures of free mycelial cells grown in the absence of beads experienced dissolved oxygen limitations in the bubble column, giving only 17 g/L final cell concentrations with equally low penicillin titres of 2 g/L. The better performance of the confined cell cultures was attributed to enhanced gas liquid mass transfer rates, with mass transfer coefficients ( k L a ) two to three times higher than those determined in the free cell cultures. Furthermore, the confined cell cultures showed more efficient utilization of power input for mass transfer, providing up to 50% reduction in energy requirements for aeration.