Open AccessOptimizing the Production of Bacterial Cellulose in Surface Culture: Evaluation of Product Movement Influences on the Bioreaction (Part 2)
Author(s) -
Hornung M.,
Ludwig M.,
Gerrard A. M.,
Schmauder H.P.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
engineering in life sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.547
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1618-2863
pISSN - 1618-0240
DOI - 10.1002/elsc.200620163
Subject(s) - cellulose , beaker , limiting , production (economics) , substrate (aquarium) , bacterial cellulose , product (mathematics) , chemistry , pulp and paper industry , chemical engineering , materials science , mathematics , biology , engineering , mechanical engineering , ecology , geometry , economics , microeconomics
The common way for the production of bacterial cellulose in surface culture is to use culture boxes or beakers with vertical walls, where the maximum achievable thickness is around 4 cm. In order to improve this, it is necessary to study factors limiting the production. In part 1, the mass transfer influences of the substrate have been investigated. Now we look at a “wall effect”. It is noted that the growing cellulose is in contact with the wall of the box or beaker, and moves downwards into the nutrient broth as time proceeds. Experiments have been carried out where this wall contact was eliminated and a constant rate of production over several weeks was found. This indicates the importance of understanding the role of the wall in the usual surface culture.