Production of molecular hydrogen with immobilized cells ofRhodospirillum rubrum

Summary Cells ofRhodospirillum rubrum have been immobilized in various gels and tested for photobiological hydrogen production. Agar proved to be the best immobilizing agent with respect to production rates as well as stability. Agar immobilized cells were also superior compared to liquid suspension cultures. Growth conditions of the cells prior to immobilization, e.g. cell age, light intensity or nutrient composition, were of primary importance for the activity in the later immobilized state. A reactor with agar immobilized cells has been operated successfully over 3000 h with a loss of the activity of about 60%. Mean rates for hydrogen production for immobilized cells in this work during the first 60 to 70 hours after immobilization were in the range of 18 to 34 μl H₂ mg⁻¹ d.w. h⁻¹ and thus by a factor of up to 2 higher than liquid cultures under the same conditions. Maximal rates of hydrogen production (57 μl H₂ ml⁻¹ immobilized cell suspension) were reached in agar gel beads with cells immobilized after 70 h growth in liquid culture in the light and a cell density of 1.0 mg ml⁻¹, 70 h after immobilization.     

Plant cell bioreactor for the production of protoberberine alkaloids from immobilized Thalictrum rugosum cultures

Cultured Thalictrum rugosum cells were immobilized using a glass fiber substratum previously shown to provide optimum immobilization efficiency based on spontaneous adhesion mechanisms. When cultivated in shake flasks, immobilized cells exhibited decreased growth and protoberberine alkaloid production rates in comparison to freely suspended cells. Since alkaloid production is growth associated in T. rugosum, the decreased specific production rate was a function of the slower growth rate. Cells immobilized on glass fiber mats appear to be amenable for extended culture periods. Maximum biomass and protoberberine alkaloid levels were maintained for at least 14 days in immobilized cultures. In contrast, fresh weight, dry weight, and total alkaloid content decreased in suspension cultures following the linear growth phase.Glass fiber mats were incorporated in to a 4.5-L plant cell bioreactor as horizontal disks supported on a central rod. Mixing in the reactor was provided by the combined actions of a magnetic impeller and a cylindrical sparging colum. fThe magnetic impeller and a cylindrical sparging column. The entire inoculum biomass of T. rougosum, introduced as suspension, was spontaneously immobilized with in 8h. During liner phase, the growth rate of bioreactor cultivated immobilized cells (mu = 0.06 day(-1)) was 50% that immobilized cell viability in both systems was determined to be similar. The increase in specific production of protoberberine alklodis was initially similar in bioreactor-and culture period. The increase in specific production of protoberberine alkaloids was initially similar in bioreactor-and shake-flask-cultivated immobilized cells. However, the maximum specific production of bioreactor grown cultures was lower. The scale up potential of an immobilization strategy based on the spontaneous adhesion of immobilization strategy based on the spontaneous adhesion of cultured plant cells to glass fiber is demonstrated.     

固定化光合细菌利用有机物产氢的研究

应用固定化细胞技术包埋荚膜红假单胞菌(Rhodopseudomonas capsulata)菌株386．研究在光照下利用有机物产氢的特性。实验观察到,光照培养120小时,悬浮培养物的产氢量为68．2ml·比产氢速率为104．1ml H2/g(生物量)·h;用琼脂包埋后．其产氢能力得到改善,产氢量和比产氢速率分别达到128．4ml和l 9s．8mlH2/g·h。该菌株除可利用苹果酸外,还可利用葡萄糖、乳酸、丙酸等基质高效地产氢。基质浓度只有控制在适当水平时,才具有较高的基质转化产氢效率。此外．菌体生物量、菌龄、培养液pH、光照强度、光照／黑暗时间比以及温度对产氢过程均有不同程度的影响。     

Immobilization of Nicotiana tabacum plant cell suspensions within calcium alginate gel beads for the production of enhanced amounts of scopolin

Scopolin-producing cells of Nicotiana tabacum were immobilized within Ca-alginate gel beads. Free cell suspensions accumulated scopolin within cytoplasmic compartments and cell disruption was necessary to recover scopolin. On the contrary, immobilized plant cells excreted considerable amounts of scopolin. Scopolin diffused throughout the gel matrix and reached the culture media. A large fraction of produced scopolin could then be recovered from the culture medium without disrupting cells. Immobilized N. tabacum cells produced more scopolin than free cell suspensions did (3.8 mg/g fresh weight biomass [into the culture media] versus 0.2 mg/g fresh weight biomass [intracellular]). Variation of the immobilization conditions revealed a marked influence on the behavior of N. tabacum plant cells: production of scopolin and enhanced excretion, cell growth, and morphological aspect of plant cell colonies. This excretion phenomenon could be used advantageously at an industrial production level.     

Sulfated extracellular polysaccharide production by the halophilic cyanobacterium Aphanocapsa halophytia immobilized on light-diffusing optical fibers

 The cyanobacterium, Aphanocapsa halo-phytia MN-11, was immobilized in calcium alginate gel and coated on light-diffusing optical fibers (LDOF) for sulfated extracellular polysaccharide production. Results indicated that sulfated extracellular polysaccharide production depends on the number of immobilized cells and the light intensity. In addition, the production rate reached 116.0 mg (mg dry cells)^-1 day^-1 when the cells that were immobilized on LDOF were incubated under a light intensity of 1380 cd sr m^-2 at a cell concentration of 1.0×10⁸ cells/cm³ gel. Cells immobilized on LDOF produced about ten times more sulfated extracellular polysaccharide than those immobilized in calcium alginate beads only (11.7 mg(mg dry cells)^-1day^-1). Received: 31 March 1995/Revised last revision 12 June 1995/Accepted 26 July 1995     

Continuous production ofL-isoleucine using immobilized growing Serratia marcescens cells

An immobilized growing cell system was applied to the continuous L -isoleucine production by Serratia marcescens. In the new immobilized-cell systems using the carrageenan gel method. S. marcescens cells in the gel required nutrients and oxygen for growth, and the numbers of living cells per milliliter of gel increased to the levels of that of free cells in the liquid medium. This immobilized growing cell system exhibited high and stable activity for isoleucine production under steady-state conditions. Continuous isoleucine production was carried out by feeding the nutrient medium under aeration into a fluidized bed reactor containing the immobilized cells. In the continuous operation, an efficient production was maintained by automatically controlling the pH of the reaction mixture at 7.5. The productivity of isoleucine increased using multibed reactors. In a two-bed reactor system, the effluent L -isoleucine concentration reached 4.5 mg/ml at a retention time of 10 hr, and a steady state was maintained for longer than 30 days.     

Physiological responses of hybridoma cells in a protein-free medium to soluble and immobilized antigen

This study examined the effect of antigen in a protein free medium on cell growth and monoclonal antibody production by a hybridoma line. Antigen immobilized on a Sepharose gel matrix via a bovine gamma-globulin carrier protein was used to stimulate the cell cultures in T-flasks. In comparison to antigen-free culture, total antibody production during was increased up to 40%, while slower cell growth rates were observed. The specific antibody production during the stationary culture phase was 40% to 80% higher in the presence of immobilized antigen. The surface density of antigen on the Sepharose beads had a strong influence on the physiological response of the hybridomas. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Analysis of Distributed Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cells Immobilized in Polyacrylamide Gel

A technique is described for the quantitative determination of the distributed growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized in polyacrylamide gel. Gel specimens were embedded in paraffin or gelatin and paraffin before sectioning and staining. Photomicrographs of specimen sections were enlarged, and cell microcolony volumes were determined as a function of position in the gel by grid transparency analysis. Overall cell densities within the gel were calculated for a quantitative comparison with values measured by a second spectrophotometric method. The results show good agreement and demonstrate the sigmoidal growth of the immobilized cells, reaching a maximum steady-state value. The technique shows promise as a general method for following the transient growth of organisms immobilized within gel particles.     

Plasmid inheritability and biomass production: comparison between free and immobilized cell cultures of Escherichia coli BZ18(pTG201) without selection pressure.

Maintenance of the plasmid pTG201 in Escherichia coli BZ18 was studied for both free and immobilized cells during chemostat culture, in the absence of the antibiotic against which resistance was plasmid encoded. Electron microscopic observations of immobilized proliferant cells within carrageenan gel beads showed high cell concentrations and growth into distinct cavities. The plasmid which coded for the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase activity was stably maintained during 80 generations in the case of immobilized cells. A theoretical analysis founded on the compartmentalization resulting from the immobilized growth conditions was described. However, the model still showed a plasmid stability inferior to that determined experimentally. Hypotheses dealing with physiological changes of immobilized cells were presented. In addition, the high cell concentrations obtained in the outer 50 microns of the carrageenan gel beads gave a biomass productivity within this useful volume which was 20 times higher than in free-cell cultures.     

Microfluorimetric analysis of spatial and temporal patterns of immobilized cell growth

Pronounced spatial nonuniformities in cell density, physiology, and activity frequently arise within densely packed immobilized cell supports. For a more fundamental understanding of immobilized cell phenomena, we have developed high-resolution microfluorimetric procedures to analyze local variations in both immobilized cell loading and growth rate. Fluorescent staining of total cellular DNA provides a measure of local biomass density. Actively growing (DNA synthesizing) cells are marked by pulse-labeling newly synthesized DNA with the thymine analog, bromouracil. An immunofluorescent technique allows subsequent detection of spatial variations in DNA synthesis rates. These procedures enable the influence of mass-transfer limitations and other immobilization effects on cell distribution and activity to be readily quantified. We demonstrate this approach through analysis of the patterns of growth of Escherichia coli entrapped within Sr-alginate gel beads. The experimental techniques are potentially applicable to a variety of other aggregate cell systems.     

Immobilization of Escherichia coli JM103[pUC8] in kappa-carrageenan coupled with recombinant protein release by in situ cell membrane permeabilization.

Immobilization of Escherichia coli JM103[pUC8] was carried out with kappa-carrageenan as the support matrix. Substantial natural excretion of beta-lactamase, attributable to the less intact membrane of plasmid-harboring cells, was observed in immobilized cell cultures. Nevertheless, a significant portion of the beta-lactamase produced was retained in the cells. As compared to suspension cultures, much higher beta-lactamase activities, especially in the extracellular liquid, and much longer retention of plasmid-bearing cells (improved plasmid stability) were observed in immobilized cell cultures. Further enhancement in excretion of the recombinant protein (beta-lactamase) was achieved by permeabilization of cell membrane by periodic exposure of the immobilized cell cultures to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). While the presence of EDTA led to some suppression of cell growth in suspension cultures, cell growth in gel beads was not affected by EDTA to the same extent, possibly due to lesser exposure of immobilized cells to EDTA. Exposure of immobilized cell cultures to EDTA presumably inhibited plasmid replication and led in turn to diversion of cellular resources for the support of expression of plasmid genes. Indeed, treatment of the immobilized cell cultures with EDTA resulted in increased production of beta-lactamase when compared to the enzyme production in EDTA-free cultures. More frequent addition of EDTA increased the period of retention of plasmid-bearing cells in these cultures but did not have any noticeable adverse effect on synthesis of beta-lactamase. Improvement in plasmid stability in EDTA-treated immobilized cell cultures was ascribed to the reduction in the growth rate differential between plasmid-free and plasmid-bearing cells, since plasmid-free cells were subject to more reduction in specific growth rate than were plasmid-bearing cells.     

Effective diffusivity of galactose in calcium alginate gels containing immobilized Zymomonas mobilis.

The effective diffusivity of galactose was measured for calcium alginate gel membranes containing immobilized live Zymomonas mobilis cells at concentrations ranging from 0 to 150 g dry wt/L of gel. Since galactose is not taken up by living Z. mobilis organisms, the diffusion of this representative six-carbon sugar could be studied independently of sugar consumption. Various immobilized biomass loadings were achieved by two different techniques: addition of biomass at known concentrations to the sodium alginate solution before membrane formation and growth of cells in the gel to various biomass concentrations. The highest immobilized cell concentration, attained by in situ growth, corresponds to the maximum of this system, as growth beyond this maximum concentration led to disintegration of the gel membrane. The galactose effective diffusivity measurements for both methods of immobilized cell loading overlap within experimental error and follow the same general monotonic decline with entrapped biomass concentration. Most of the data fall below the upper bound predicted by Hashin and Shtrikman (1962) and show good agreement with the random pore model of Wakao and Smith (1962, 1964). Available effective diffusivity data from the literature provide evidence that the random pore model is an excellent predictor of sugar effective diffusivity in gel immobilized cell systems in general.     

Effects of immobilization on biomass production and acetic acid fermentation of Acetobacter aceti as a function of temperature and pH

Summary Acetobacter aceti cells were immobilized using entrapment in Ca-alginate gel and adsorption on preformed cellulose beads. The cell number within the supports showed no significant alterations on changing temperature or pH, whereas the acetic acid production was slightly increased by immobilization.     

Denitrification of PVA-immobilized denitrifying photosynthetic bacterium,Rhodobacter sphaeroides

A newly isolated denitrifying strain, Rhodobacter sphaeroides NII2 was immobilized in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) gel, and the properties of the cells in the gel were examined. The immobilized cells had low or almost no denitrification activity, but the cells were activated by incubation in light with culture medium for denitrification containing 0.5% nitrate and no other nitrogen source. Cells grown in the dark were activated by incubation at an earlier stage and to a higher rate than the light-grown cells. The activation was markedly enhanced in the PVA gel with a low cell concentration. The immobilized cells consumed nitrate with a temporary accumulation of NO₂ and evolved nitrogen gas. The immobilized cells could use various organic compounds as electron donors for denitrification. Thus, the immobilized cells were applied to a continuous treatment of synthetic wastewater using an aparatus devised by this laboratory. The results showed an efficient removal of NO₃-N from the test water.     

Multistage operation of airlift photobioreactor for increased production of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis

An internally radiating photobioreactor was applied for the production of astaxanthin using the unicellular green alga Haematococcus pluvialis. The cellular morphology of H. pluvialis was significantly affected by the intensity of irradiance of the photobioreactor. Small green cells were widespread under lower light intensity, whereas big reddish cells were predominant under high light intensity. For these reasons, growth reflected by cell number or dry weight varied markedly with light conditions. Even under internal illumination of the photobioreactor, light penetration was significantly decreased as algal cells grew. Therefore, we employed a multistage process by gradually increasing the internal illuminations for astaxanthin production. Our results revealed that a multistage process might be essential to the successful operation of a photobioreactor for astaxnthin production using H. pluvialis.     

New immobilization method of mammalian cells using alginate and polyacrylate

Mouse-mouse hybridoma cells were immobilized in polyacrylate-alginate gels. The immobilized hybridoma cells were cultured semi-continuously using a fluidized bed reactor, and allowed continuous antibody production without any gel destruction for one month. It has been proved that the polyacrylate-alginate gels were tolerant against physical stress. The composition of the gels suitable for cell growth and antibody production was given as follows; viscosity of alginate at 1% solution: 60–100 cP, alginate concentration: 0.8%, and polyacrylate concentration: 0.2%. In the semi-continuous culture using gels prepared under suitable conditions, the viable cell number was estimated as 2.5×10⁷ cells/ml-gel, and the antibody production rate was 2.2 mg/ml-gel/d, at maximum.     

NADH production from NAD+ with a formate dehydrogenase system involving immobilized cells of a methylotrophic Arthrobacter strain.

A convenient and economical method of NADH production from NAD+ has been established using a formate dehydrogenase system involving immobilized cells of a methanol-utilizing bacterium. Arthrobacter sp, KM62. Four kinds of cell entrapment were studied. An immobilized cell preparation showing a high NADH production activity was obtained by entrapment in a kappa-carrageenan gel lattice. The NADH-producing activity of the immobilized cells was investigated under various conditions. The NADH-producing activity was evoked on the addition of Triton X-100 to the reaction mixture. The conditions for the continuous production of NADH with an immobilized cell column were also investigated. When a reaction mixture containing 10 mumol (6.63 mg) ml-1 NAD+ was passed through the column (1.2 x 20 cm) containing 1.62 g (as dry weight) of immobilized cells, at a space velocity of 0.125 at 35 degrees C, complete conversion was attained.     

Covalent attachment of an Arg-Gly-Asp sequence peptide to derivatizable polyacrylamide surfaces: support of fibroblast adhesion and long-term growth

A synthetic nonapeptide (Tyr-Ala-Val-Thr-Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser), which includes the adhesive Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence, was covalently immobilized on chemically well-defined polyacrylamide gel surfaces utilizing N-succinimidyl active esters. The amount of peptide immobilized varied linearly with the concentration added to the gels. Immobilization was approximately 80% efficient (based on peptide added), resulting in up to 17.5 nmol peptide/cm2 gel surface. Balb/c 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells adhered readily to peptide-derivatized surfaces, even in the absence of serum. Furthermore, surfaces derivatized with 2 nmol peptide/cm2 gel supported long-term fibroblast growth at a rate and to an extent comparable to that on tissue culture plastic. Surfaces derivatized with a control nonapeptide having no RGD sequence were nonsupportive of cell attachment or growth. The immobilization technology used to derivatize the gel surfaces with adhesive nonapeptide can be modified to allow coderivatization with proteins, glycoproteins, glycosides, or other amine-containing compounds to test their effects on long-term cell behaviors.     

Studies on the respiration rate of free and immobilized cells of Cephalosporium acremonium in cephalosporin C production

Bioprocesses using filamentous fungi immobilized in inert supports present many advantages when compared to conventional free cell processes. However, assessment of the real advantages of the unconventional process demands a rigorous study of the limitations to diffusional mass transfer of the reagents, especially concerning oxygen. In this work, a comparative study was carried out on the cephalosporin C production process in defined medium containing glucose and sucrose as main carbon and energy sources, by free and immobilized cells of Cephalosporium acremonium ATCC 48272 in calcium alginate gel beads containing alumina. The effective diffusivity of oxygen through the gel beads and the effectiveness factors related to the respiration rate of the microorganism were determined experimentally. By applying Monod kinetics, the respiration kinetics parameters were experimentally determined in independent experiments in a complete production medium. The effectiveness factor experimental values presented good agreement with the theoretical values of the approximated zero‐order effectiveness factor, considering the dead core model. Furthermore, experimental results obtained with immobilized cells in a 1.7‐L tower bioreactor were compared with those obtained in 5‐L conventional fermentor with free cells. It could be concluded that it is possible to attain rather high production rates working with relatively large diameter gel beads (ca. 2.5 mm) and sucrose consumption‐based productivity was remarkably higher with immobilized cells, i.e., 0.33 gCPC/kg sucrose/h against 0.24 gCPC/kg sucrose/h in the aerated stirred tank bioreactor process. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 63: 593–600, 1999.     

Selective production of glutamate by an immobilized marine blue-green alga,Synechococcus sp.

Summary Among 200 strains of marine bluegreen algae isolated from the coastal areas of Japan, the marine blue-green alga Synechococcus sp. NKBG 040607 excreted glutamate at the highest rate, 82.6% of total amino acids production being glutamate. Synechococcus sp. NKBG 40607 was immobilized in calcium alginate gel. Glutamate production by immobilized cells was double that of native cells. Maximal glutamate production (25 g/cm³ gel per day) of the immobilized cells was observed under a light intensity of 144 Einstein/m² per second at a cell concentration of 7.5 mg dry cells/cm³ gel. Immobilized cells of Synechococcus sp. can use nitrate as a nitrogen source. Immobilized marine Synechococcus sp. produced 0265 mg/cm³ gel of glutamate for 7 days in the presence of chloramphenicol.