A model for lipase production by Candida rugosa

A model adequately describing the lipase production by Candida rugosa has been developed, calibrated and validated using new experimental data. Process modelling has been done using CAMBIO software (Computer Aided Modelling of BIOprocesses), allowing to easy and interactively test various hypothesis and reaction schemes.Olive oil, oleic acid and glycerol has been used as substrates. The model satisfactorily describes the time evolution of biomass growth as well as lipase production in all cases. In particular diauxic behavior is successfully characterized.Model development process has helped in obtaining a 3-fold increase in lipase production when using oleic acid as substrate instead of the original olive oil used.List of Symbols Oil g/l Oil concentration - Fa g/l Fatty acids concentration - Gly g/l Glycerol concentration - Cr g/l Biomass (dry weight) - Lp U/ml Lipase - _p Oil hydrolysis rate - _gly Uptake rate on glycerol - _fa Uptake rate on fatty acids - _lp Increase rate of lipase - Y_ca Biomass/Fatty acids yield - Y_cg Biomass/Glycerol yield - Y_la Lipase/Fatty acids yield - k_l Specific growth rate on fatty acids - K_c Saturation constant - K_I Inhibition constant for lipase - k11 Specific growth rate on glycerol - k₃ Oil hydrolysis parameter