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Continuous production of ethanol by yeast “immobilized” in a membrane‐contained fermentor
Author(s) -
Kyung Kyu H.,
Gerhardt Philipp
Publication year - 1984
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.260260309
Subject(s) - fermentation , bioreactor , chemistry , product inhibition , membrane , chromatography , yeast , ethanol fermentation , biochemistry , lysis , bioconversion , ethanol , enzyme , organic chemistry , non competitive inhibition
A dialysate‐feed, immobilized‐cell dialysis continuous fermentation system was investigated as a method of relieving product inhibition in the conversion of glucose to ethanol by cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 4126. The substrate was fed into a continuous dialysate circuit and then into a batch fermentor circuit via diffusion through the microporous membranes of an intermediate dialyzer. Simultaneously, product was withdrawn from the fermentor circuit through the dialyzer membranes into the dialysate circuit and out in the effluent. Since the fermentor was operated without an effluent, the cells essentially were immobilized and converted substrate to product by maintenance metabolism. Contrary to prior results with this novel system for the continuous fermentation of lactose to lactate by lactobacillus cells, a steady state of yeast cells in the fermentor did not occur initially but was obtained by the depletion of medium nitrogen and the prevention of cell breakage, although the substrate and product concentrations then became unsteady. The inherent advantages of the system was offset in the ethanol fermentation by relatively low productivity, which appeared to be limited by membrane permeability.