Open AccessOptimizing the Production of Bacterial Cellulose in Surface Culture: A Novel Aerosol Bioreactor Working on a Fed Batch Principle (Part 3)
Author(s) -
Hornung M.,
Ludwig M.,
Schmauder H. P.
Publication year - 2007
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.200620164
Subject(s) - bioreactor , cellulose , aerosol , bacterial cellulose , substrate (aquarium) , chemical engineering , bacteria , chemistry , production rate , materials science , pulp and paper industry , process engineering , biology , organic chemistry , engineering , ecology , genetics
Parts 1 and 2 have shown that the rate of production of bacterial cellulose stagnates because of the limitation of substrate supply and a wall effect, which hinders the removal of the product from the active cell zone. This paper demonstrates, how both of these problems can be eliminated in a novel bioreactor, where the substrates (mainly glucose and oxygen) are both fed directly to the surface of the product cellulose. This involves the generation of an aerosol spray of glucose and its even distribution to the living bacteria on the medium‐air interface. The apparatus was built and operated up to eight weeks with a constant rate of cellulose production. The aerosol system provides the basis for an economic production of bacterial cellulose in surface culture.