Synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll a by the purple nonsulfur bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus

The ability of purple nonsulfur bacteria Rhodobacter capsulatus B10 to synthesize bacteriochlorophyll under phototrophic and dark conditions was studied. The modes for cultivation in the dark with oxygen limitation in a continuous culture at D = 0.1 h(-1) were selected. The yield of biomass reached 20 g/l; the bacteriochlorophyll a output of the process amounted to 16.6 mg/l h(-1).