Microbial production of xylitol from D-xylose and sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose using newly isolated thermotolerant yeast Debaryomyces hansenii

A thermotolerant yeast capable of fermenting xylose to xylitol at 40°C was isolated and identified as a strain of Debaryomyces hansenii by ITS sequencing. This paper reports the production of xylitol from D-xylose and sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose by free and Ca-alginate immobilized cells of D. hansenii. The efficiency of free and immobilized cells were compared for xylitol production from D-xylose and hemicellulose in batch culture at 40°C. The maximum xylitol produced by free cells was 68.6 g/L from 100 g/L of xylose, with a yield of 0.76 g/g and volumetric productivity 0.44 g/L/h. The yield of xylitol and volumetric productivity were 0.69 g/g and 0.28 g/L/h respectively from hemicellulosic hydrolysate of sugarcane bagasse after detoxification with activated charcoal and ion exchange resins. The Ca-alginate immobilized D. hansenii cells produced 73.8 g of xylitol from 100 g/L of xylose with a yield of 0.82 g/g and volumetric productivity of 0.46 g/L/h and were reused for five batches with steady bioconversion rates and yields.     

Growth and exopolysaccharide production during free and immobilized cell chemostat culture of Lactobacillus rhamnosus RW-9595M

AIMS: Biomass and exopolysaccharide (EPS) production were studied during chemostat cultures in whey permeate medium with Lactobacillus rhamnosus RW-9595M-free cells and cells immobilized on solid porous supports (ImmobaSil). METHODS AND RESULTS: A continuous culture with free cells was conducted for 9 days at dilution rates (D) between 0.3 and 0.8 h(-1) in yeast extract (YE)/mineral supplemented whey permeate. Maximum EPS production (1808 mg l(-1)) and volumetric productivity (542.6 mg l(-1) h(-1)) were obtained for a low D of 0.3 h(-1). A continuous fermentation in a two-stage bioreactor system, composed of a first stage with immobilized cells and a second stage inoculated with free cells produced in the first reactor, was carried out for 32 days. The influence of YE concentration, temperature and dilution rate, and their interactions on biomass, EPS and lactic acid production was investigated. A statistically significant model was found only for lactic acid production. Marked cell morphological and physiological changes led to the formation of very large cell-containing aggregates and a low mean soluble EPS production (138 mg l(-1)). Aggregate volumetric productivity of the two-stage system varied between 5.7 and 49.5 g l(-1) h(-1) for different fermentation conditions and times. Aggregates contained a very high biomass concentration, estimated at 74% of aggregate dry weight by nitrogen analysis and 4.3 x 10(12) CFU g(-1) by a DNA extraction method and a high nonsoluble polysaccharide content (14.2%). At age 24 days, insoluble EPS concentration and volumetric productivity were 1250 mg l(-1) and 2240 mg l(-1) h(-1) respectively. The physiological changes were shown to be reversible when cells were incubated during three successive batch cultures. CONCLUSIONS: EPS production and volumetric productivity during continuous free-cell chemostat cultures with L. rhamnosus RW-9595M are among the highest values reported for lactobacilli in literature. Immobilization and continuous culture resulted in low soluble EPS production and large morphological and physiological changes of L. rhamnosus RW-9595M, with formation of macroscopical aggregates mainly composed of biomass and nonsoluble EPS. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first study on continuous EPS production by immobilized LAB. Immobilization and culture time-induced cell aggregation and could be used to produce new synbiotic products with very high viable cell and EPS concentrations.     

Continuous ethanol production from Jerusalem artichoke tubers. II. Use of immobilized cells of Kluyveromyces marxianus

Kluyveromyces marxianus UCD (FST) 55-82 cells were immobilized in Na alginate beads and used in a packed-bed bioreactor system for the continuous production of ethanol from the extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers. Volumetric ethanol productivities of 104 and 80 g ethanol/ L/h were obtained at 80 and 92% sugar utilization, respectively. The maximum volumetric ethanol productivity of the immobilized cell bioreactor system was found to be 15 times higher than that of an ordinary-stirred-tank (CST) bioreactor using cells of K. marxianus. The immobilized cell bioreactor system was operated continuously at a constant dilution rate of 0.66 h(-1) for 12 days resulting in only an 8% loss of the original immobilized cell activity, which corresponds to an estimated half-life of ca. 72 days. The maximum specific ethanol productivity and maximum specific sugar uptake rate of the immobilized cells were found to be 0.55 g ethanol/g/biomass/h and 1.21 g sugars/g biomass/h, respectively.     

Increase of xylitol production rate by controlling redox potential in Candida parapsilosis

The effect of redox potential on xylitol production by Candida parapsilosis was investigated. The redox potential was found to be useful for monitoring the dissolved oxygen (DO) level in culture media, especially when the DO level was low. An increase in the agitation speed in a 5 L fermentor resulted in an increased culture redox potential as well as enhanced cell growth. Production of xylitol was maximized at a redox potential of 100 mV. As the initial cell concentration increased from 8 g/L to 30 g/L, the volumetric productivity of xylitol increased from 1.38 g/L. h to 4.62 g/L. h. A two-stage xylitol production strategy was devised, with stage 1 involving rapid production of cells under well-aerated conditions, and stage 2 involving cultivation with reduced aeration such that the culture redox potential was 100 mV. Using this technique, a final xylitol concentration of 180 g/L was obtained from a culture medium totally containing 254.5 g/L xylose in a 3,000 L pilot scale fermentor after 77 h fermentation. The volumetric productivity of xylitol during the fermentation was 2.34 g/L. h.     

A novel recycle batch immobilized cell bioreactor for propionate production from whey lactose

Recycle batch fermentations using immobilized cells of Propionibacterium acidipropionici were studied for propionate production from whey permeate, de-lactose whey permeate, and acid whey. Cells were immobilized in a spirally wound fibrous sheet packed in a 0.5-L column reactor, which was connected to a 5-L stirred tank batch fermentor with recirculation. The immobilized cells bioreactor served as a breeder for these recycle batch fermentations. High fermentation rates and conversions were obtained with these whey media without nutrient supplementation. It took approximately 55 h to ferment whey permeate containing approximately 45 g/L lactose to approximately 20 g/L propionic acid. Higher propionate concentrations can be produced with various concentrated whey media containing more lactose. The highest propionic acid concentration obtained with the recycle batch reactor was 65 g/L, which is much higher than the normal maximum concentration of 35 to 45 g/L reported in the literature. The volumetric productivity ranged from 0.22 g/L . h to 0.47 g/L . h, depending on the propionate concentration and whey medium used. The corresponding specific cell productivity was 0.033 to 0.07 g/L . g cell. The productivity increased to 0.68 g/L . h when whey permeate was supplemented with 1% (w/v) yeast extract. Compared with conventional batch fermentation, the recycle batch fermentation with the immobilized cell bioreactor allows faster fermentation, produces a higher concentration of product, and can be run continually without significant downtime. The process also produced similar fermentation results with nonsterile whey media. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Aerobic fungal cell immobilization in a dual hollow-fiber bioreactor: Continuous production of a citric acid

Aspergillus niger B60 was immobilized in a dual hollow-fiber bioreactor (DHFBR) to produce citric acid continuously. The fungi proliferated well in the interstitial region formed by a parallel arrangement of three microporous polypropylene hollow fibers contained within a silicone tube. Long-term operation with nitrogen-enriched medium was not possible due to expansion of the silicone tubes by continual cell growth. The fungal growth could be controlled by supplying a nitrogen-deficient medium at the production stage. With pure oxygen aeration and nitrogen-deficient medium, volumetric productivity reached 1.62 g/L h at a residence time of 4.02 h, which corresponded to a 27-fold increase over that of shake-flask fermentation. When the residence time was increased to 20.1 h, citric acid at a concentration of 26 g/L was continuously produced, with a yield of 80-90% and a volumetric productivity of 1.3 g/L h. This represents a significant improvement in final concentration, yield, and the volumetric productivity over the equivalent values of the corresponding batch fermentation, which were 18 g/L, 40%, and 0.06 g/L h, respectively.     

Enhanced isopropanol and <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-butanol production by supplying exogenous acetic acid via co-culturing two clostridium strains from cassava bagasse hydrolysate

The focus of this study was to produce isopropanol and butanol (IB) from dilute sulfuric acid treated cassava bagasse hydrolysate (SACBH), and improve IB production by co-culturing Clostridium beijerinckii (C. beijerinckii) with Clostridium tyrobutyricum (C. tyrobutyricum) in an immobilized-cell fermentation system. Concentrated SACBH could be converted to solvents efficiently by immobilized pure culture of C. beijerinckii. Considerable solvent concentrations of 6.19 g/L isopropanol and 12.32 g/L butanol were obtained from batch fermentation, and the total solvent yield and volumetric productivity were 0.42 g/g and 0.30 g/L/h, respectively. Furthermore, the concentrations of isopropanol and butanol increased to 7.63 and 13.26 g/L, respectively, under the immobilized co-culture conditions when concentrated SACBH was used as the carbon source. The concentrations of isopropanol and butanol from the immobilized co-culture fermentation were, respectively, 42.62 and 25.45 % higher than the production resulting from pure culture fermentation. The total solvent yield and volumetric productivity increased to 0.51 g/g and 0.44 g/L/h when co-culture conditions were utilized. Our results indicated that SACBH could be used as an economically favorable carbon source or substrate for IB production using immobilized fermentation. Additionally, IB production could be significantly improved by co-culture immobilization, which provides extracellular acetic acid to C. beijerinckii from C. tyrobutyricum. This study provided a technically feasible and cost-efficient way for IB production using cassava bagasse, which may be suitable for industrial solvent production.     

Itaconic acid production by immobilizedAspergillus terreus from xylose and glucose

Summary Aspergillus terreus NRRC 1960 spores were entrapped in calcium alginate gel beads or alternotely the fungal mycelium was immobilized either on Celite R-626 or in agar gel cubes, and the biocatalyst was employed both in repeated batch and in continuous column reactors to produce itaconic acid from D-xylose or D-glucose. The highest itaconic acid yield obtained in a submerged culture batch fermentation was 54.5% based on total initial glucose (55 g/l) with a volumetric productivity of 0.32 g/l h, and 44.8% from xylose (67 g/l) with a productivity of 0.20 g/l h. In a repeated batch fermentation mycelium immobilized in agar gel had a productivity of 0.112 g/l h, and mycelium grown from spores immobilized in calcium alginate gel 0.06 g/l h, both from xylose (60 g/l). With the best immobilized biocatalyst system used employing Celite R-626 as a carrier, volumetric productivities of 1.2 g/l h from glucose and 0.56 g/l h from xylose (both at 60 g/l) were obtained in continuous column operation for more than 2 weeks.     

Production of Acinetobacter radioresistens lipase with repeated batch culture in presence of nonwoven fabric.

Cultivation of Acinetobacter radioresistens on n-hexadecane for lipase production was investigated with repeated batch culture in the presence of a hydrophobic nonwoven fabric. Lipase production followed the growth-associated model, and the repeated batch culture could achieve both high enzyme yield and increased volumetric productivity. The fabric was shown to be able to disperse n-hexadecane, to adsorb the unused hydrocarbon, and to retain bioemulsifiers excreted from the cells; therefore, it enhanced cell growth and, in turn, lipase production. In the repeated batch culture in the absence of the fabric, lipase yield and volumetric productivity were found to be 21 U/mL and 875 U/L. h, respectively. However, if the fabric was equipped in the fermentor, lipase yield and volumetric productivity increased to 30 U/mL and 2500 U/L. h, respectively. The lipase production profile could be further improved by raising the amount of nitrogen source and, as a result, a lipase yield of 54 U/mL and a volumetric productivity of 2250 U/L. h were obtained. In this study we assess the beneficial effects of nonwoven fabric on lipase production.     

Production of L(+)-lactic acid from glucose and starch by immobilized cells of Rhizopus oryzae in a rotating fibrous bed bioreactor

A rotating fibrous-bed bioreactor (RFB) was developed for fermentation to produce L(+)-lactic acid from glucose and cornstarch by Rhizopus oryzae. Fungal mycelia were immobilized on cotton cloth in the RFB for a prolonged period to study the fermentation kinetics and process stability. The pH and dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) were found to have significant effects on lactic acid productivity and yield, with pH 6 and 90% DO being the optimal conditions. A high lactic acid yield of 90% (w/w) and productivity of 2.5 g/L.h (467 g/h.m(2)) was obtained from glucose in fed-batch fermentation. When cornstarch was used as the substrate, the lactic acid yield was close to 100% (w/w) and the productivity was 1.65 g/L.h (300 g/h.m(2)). The highest concentration of lactic acid achieved in these fed-batch fermentations was 127 g/L. The immobilized-cells fermentation in the RFB gave a virtually cell-free fermentation broth and provided many advantages over conventional fermentation processes, especially those with freely suspended fungal cells. Without immobilization with the cotton cloth, mycelia grew everywhere in the fermentor and caused serious problems in reactor control and operation and consequently the fermentation was poor in lactic acid production. Oxygen transfer in the RFB was also studied and the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficients under various aeration and agitation conditions were determined and then used to estimate the oxygen transfer rate and uptake rate during the fermentation. The results showed that the oxygen uptake rate increased with increasing DO, indicating that oxygen transfer was limited by the diffusion inside the mycelial layer.     

Ethanol production from nonsterilized carob pod extract by free and immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells using fed-batch culture

The production of ethanol from carob pod extract by free and immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells in batch and fed-batch culture was investigated. Fed-batch culture proved to be a better fermentation system for the production of ethanol than batch culture. In fed-batch culture, both free and immobilized S. cerevisiae cells gave the same maximum concentration (62 g/L) of final ethanol at an initial sugar concentration of 300 g/L and F = 167 mL/h. The maximum ethanol productivity (4.4 g/L h) was obtained with both free and immobilized cells at a substrate concentration of 300 g/L and F = 334 mL/h. In repeated fed-batch culture, immobilized S. cerevisiae cells gave a higher overall ethanol concentration compared with the free cells. The immobilized S. cerevisiae cells in Ca-alginate beads retained their ability to produce ethanol for 10 days. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Anti-Hepatitis B surface Antigen monoclonal antibody IgM production in suspension and immobilized cell bioreactors

Summary We have cultivated a hybridoma cell-line H505AC in suspension and alginate immobilized cell bioreactors to produce anti-Hepatitis B surface Antigen (anti-HBsAg) monoclonal antibody IgM. The specific IgM production rates correlate linearly with the specific glucose consumption rate in suspension culture with a maximum production rate of 300 g/10⁶ cells/day. In alginate-cell immobilized airlift bioreactor, a total of 1143 milligrams IgM was produced in 9 days operation with a volumetric productivity 44.1 mg/day.L     

Continuous production of 1,3-propanediol using raw glycerol with immobilized Clostridium beijerinckii NRRL B-593 in comparison to suspended culture

The continuous production of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) was investigated with Clostridium beijerinckii NRRL B-593 using raw glycerol without purification obtained from a biodiesel production process. Ceramic rings and pumice stones were used for cell immobilization in a packed-bed bioreactor. For comparison purpose, a control bioreactor with suspended culture was also run. The effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the production of 1,3-PDO in both immobilized and suspended bioreactors were also investigated. The study revealed that HRT is an important factor for both immobilized and suspended systems and a HRT of 2 h is the best one in terms of volumetric production rate (g 1,3-PDO/L/h). Furthermore, cell immobilization had also obvious benefits especially for the robustness and the reliability of the production. The results indicated that cell immobilization achieved a 2.5-fold higher productivity in comparison to suspended cell system. Based on our results, continuous production of 1,3-PDO with immobilized cells is an efficient method, and raw glycerol can be utilized without any pretreatment.     

Changes in monoclonal antibody productivity of recombinant BHK cells immobilized in collagen gel particles

Animal cell perfusion high density culture is often adopted for the production of biologicals in industry. In high density culture sometimes the productivity of biologicals has been found to be enhanced. Especially in immobilized animal cell culture, significant increase in the productivity has been reported. We have found that the specific monoclonal antibody (MAb) productivity of an immobilized hybridoma cell is enhanced more than double. Several examples of enhancing productivities have been also shown by collagen immobilized cells. Immobilized cells involve some different points from non-immobilized cells in high density culture: In immobilized culture, some cells are contacted together, resulting in locally much higher cell concentration more than 10⁸ cells/ml. Information originating from a cell can be easily transduced to the others in immobilized culture because the distance between cells is much nearer. Here we have performed collagen gel immobilized culture of recombinant BHK cells which produce a human IgG monoclonal antibody in a protein-free medium for more than three months. In this high density culture a stabilized monoclonal antibody production was found with around 8 times higher specific monoclonal antibody productivity compared with that in a batch serum containing culture. No higher MAb productivity was observed using a conditioned medium which was obtained from the high density culture, indicating that no components secreted from the immobilized cells work for enhancing monoclonal antibody production. The MAb productivity by the non-immobilized cells obtained by dissolving collagen using a collagenase gradually decreased and returned to the original level in the batch culture using a fresh medium. This suggests that the direct contact of the cells or a very close distance between the cells has something to do with the enhancement of the MAb productivity, and the higher productivity is kept for a while in each cell after they are drawn apart.     

High efficiency ethanol fermentation by entrapment of Zymomonas mobilis into LentiKats

AIMS: To examine the potential of Zymomonas mobilis entrapped into polyvinylalcohol (PVA) lens-shaped immobilizates in batch and continuous ethanol production. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cells, free or immobilized in PVA hydrogel-based lens-shaped immobilizates - LentiKats, were cultivated on glucose medium in a 1 l bioreactor. In comparison with free cell cultivation, volumetric productivity of immobilized batch culture was nine times higher (43.6 g l(-1) h(-1)). The continuously operated system did not improve the efficiency (volumetric productivity of the immobilized cells 30.7 g l(-1) h(-1)). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated Z. mobilis capability, entrapped into LentiKats, in the cost-efficient batch system of ethanol production. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The results reported here emphasize the potential of bacteria in combination with suitable fermentation technology in industrial scale. The innovation compared with traditional systems is characterized by excellent long-term stability, high volumetric productivity and other technological advantages.     

A new process for the continuous production of succinic acid from glucose at high yield, titer, and productivity

A novel three stages continuous fermentation process for the bioproduction of succinic acid at high concentration, productivity and yield using A. succiniciproducens was developed. This process combined an integrated membrane-bioreactor-electrodialysis system. An energetic characterization of A. succiniciproducens during anaerobic cultured in a cell recycle bioreactor was done first. The very low value of Y(ATP) obtained suggests that an ATP dependent mechanism of succinate export is present in A. succiniciproducens. Under the best culture conditions, biomass concentration and succinate volumetric productivity reach values of 42 g/L and 14.8 g/L.h. These values are respectively 28 and 20 times higher compared to batch cultures done in our laboratory. To limit end-products inhibition on growth, a mono-polar electrodialysis pilot was secondly coupled to the cell recycle bioreactor. This system allowed to continuously remove succinate and acetate from the permeate and recycle an organic acids depleted solution in the reactor. The integrated membrane-bioreactor-electrodialysis process produced a five times concentrated succinate solution (83 g/L) compared to the cell recycle reactor system, at a high average succinate yield of 1.35 mol/mol and a slightly lower volumetric productivity of 10.4 g/L.h. The process combined maximal production yield to high productivity and titer and could be economically viable for the development of a biological route for succinic acid production.     

Tagatose production by immobilized recombinant Escherichia coli cells containing Geobacillus stearothermophilus l-arabinose isomerase mutant in a packed-bed bioreactor

Using immobilized recombinant Escherichia coli cells containing Geobacillus stearothermophilus l-arabinose isomerase mutant (Gali 152), we found that the galactose isomerization reaction was maximal at 70 degrees C and pH 7.0. Manganese ion enhanced galactose isomerization to tagatose. The immobilized cells were most stable at 60 degrees C and pH 7.0. The cell and substrate concentrations and dilution rate were optimal at 34 g/L, 300 g/L, and 0.05 h(-1), respectively. Under the optimum conditions, the immobilized cell reactor with Mn2+ produced an average of 59 g/L tagatose with a productivity of 2.9 g/L.h and a conversion yield of 19.5% for the first 20 days. The operational stability of immobilized cells with Mn2+ was demonstrated, and their half-life for tagatose production was 34 days. Tagatose production was compared for free and immobilized enzymes and free and immobilized cells using the same mass of cells. Immobilized cells produced the highest tagatose concentration, indicating that cell immobilization was more efficient for tagatose production than enzyme immobilization.     

Protein-free fed-batch culture of non-GS NS0 cell lines for production of recombinant antibodies

Presented is a novel antibody production platform based on the fed-batch culture of recombinant, NS0-derived cell lines. A standardized fed-batch cell culture process was developed for five non-GS NS0 cell lines using enriched and optimized protein-free, cholesterol-free, and chemically defined basal and feed media. The process performed reproducibly and scaled faithfully from the 2-L to the 100-L bioreactor scale achieving a volumetric productivity of > 120 mg/L per day. Fed-batch cultures for all five cell lines exhibited significant lactate consumption when the cells entered the stationary or death phase. Peak and final lactate concentrations were low relative to a previously developed fed-batch process (FBP). Such low lactate production and high lactate consumption rates were unanticipated considering the fed-batch culture basal medium has an unconventionally high initial glucose concentration of 15 g/L, and an overall glucose consumption in excess of 17 g/L. The potential of this process platform was further demonstrated through additional media optimization, which has resulted in a final antibody concentration of 2.64 +/- 0.19 g/L and volumetric productivity of > 200 mg/L per day in a 13-day FBP for one of the five production cell lines. Use of this standardized protein-free, cholesterol-free NS0 FBP platform enables consistency in development time and cost effectiveness for manufacturing of therapeutic antibodies.     

Critical factors affecting ethanol production by immobilized Pichia stipitis using corn cob hemicellulosic hydrolysate

Fermentation of xylose from hydrolysate of acid-treated corn cob by Pichia stipitis is inhibited by acetic acid and lignin derivatives. In the present study, we have designed and implemented an immobilized cell culture for xylose to ethanol conversion from acid-treated corn cob hydrolysate without the removal of fermentation inhibitors. In this study, cultivations of suspended and immobilized Pichia were compared in terms of ethanol yield and productivity to investigate whether the cell immobilization could improve resistance to inhibitors. Cell immobilization clearly favored the fermentative metabolism in nondetoxified corn cob hydrolysate leading to an improvement of twofold ethanol productivity as compared to that achieved with suspension culture. Calcium alginate as an immobilization matrix was selected to immobilize Pichia cells. Concentrations of sodium alginate, calcium chloride, and fermentor agitation speed were optimized for ethanol production using statistical method. Statistical analysis showed that agitation speed had maximum influence on ethanol production by immobilized Pichia cells. In comparison to suspension culture, immobilization had a positive impact on the fermentative metabolism of Pichia, improving the ethanol yield from 0.40 to 0.43?g/g and productivity from 0.31 to 0.51?g/L/h for acid-treated corn cob hydrolysate.     

Production of succinic acid and lactic acid by Corynebacterium crenatum under anaerobic conditions

A new succinic acid and lactic acid production bioprocess by Corynebacterium crenatum was investigated in mineral medium under anaerobic conditions. Corynebacterium crenatum cells with sustained acid production ability and high acid volumetric productivity harvested from the glutamic acid fermentation broth were used to produce succinic acid and lactic acid. Compared with the first cycle, succinic acid production in the third cycle increased 120% and reached 43.4 g/L in 10 h during cell-recycling repeated fermentations. The volumetric productivities of succinic acid and lactic acid could maintain above 4.2 g/(L·h) and 3.1 g/(L·h), respectively, for at least 100 h. Moreover, wheat bran hydrolysates could be used for succinic acid and lactic acid production by the recycled C. crenatum cells. The final succinic acid concentration reached 43.6 g/L with a volumetric productivity of 4.36 g/(L·h); at the same time, 32 g/L lactic acid was produced.