Excess turbulence as a cause of turbohypobiosis in cultivation of microorganisms

The present review describes the influence of different types of mixing systems under excess turbulence conditions on microorganisms. Turbohypobiosis phenomena were described by applying a method for measurement of the kinetic energy of flow fluctuations based on the piezoeffect. It can be assumed that the shear stress effect (the state of turbohypobiosis) plays a role mainly when alternative mechanisms in cells cannot ensure a normal physiological state under stress conditions. Practically any system (inner construction of a bioreactor, culture and cultivation conditions, including mixing) requires its own optimisation to achieve the final goal, namely, the maximum product and/or biomass yields from substrate (Y _P/S or/and Y _X/S ), respectively. Data on the biotechnological performance of cultivation as well as power input, kinetic energy (e) of flow fluctuations, air consumption rate, rotational speed, tip speed, etc. do not correlate directly if the mixing systems (impellers-baffles) are dissimilar. Even the widely used specific power consumption cannot be relied upon for scaling up the cultivation performance using dissimilar mixing systems. A biochemical explanation for substrate and product transport via cell walls, carbon pathways, energy generation and utilisation, etc. furnishes insight into cellular interactions with turbulence of different origin for different types of microorganisms (single cells, mycelia forming cells, etc.).