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Continuous culture system for production of biopolymer levan using erwinia herbicola
Author(s) -
Keith J.,
Wiley B.,
Ball D.,
Arcidiacono S.,
Zorfass D.,
Mayer J.,
Kaplan D.
Publication year - 1991
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.260380515
Subject(s) - biopolymer , gel permeation chromatography , chemistry , chromatography , size exclusion chromatography , sucrose , gas chromatography , nitrogen , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , analytical chemistry (journal) , food science , organic chemistry , polymer , enzyme
The optimal production of the fructan biopolymer levan by the bacterium Erwinia herbicola was investigated, including variations in nitrogen, carbon and phosphorous sources, pH, incubation time, culture yields up to 19% by weight produced based on conversion of sucrose as the carbon source when grown in a continuous culture system and processed by tangential flow filtration. Product identity was confirmed with gas chromatography (GC) and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and low‐angle laser light scattering (LALLS) determination of the molecular weight of the product showed a significant difference in molecular weight values dependent on the method of analysis. Analysis by GPC resulted in molecular weight one order of magnitude lower than LALLS independent of sample, underscoring the unusual nature of this biopolymer.