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Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry (2002) 35, (125–132) (Printed in Great Britain)

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Cultivation of Acetobacter xylinum for bacterial cellulose production in a modified airlift reactor

Hai-Peng Cheng, Pei-Ming Wang, Jech-Wei Chen and Wen-Teng Wu¹

Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30043, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Key words: fermentation, liquid mixing, oxygen transfer, tower-type reactor.

Abbreviation used: vvm, vol. of air/recorder working vol. per min.

¹To whom correspondence should be addressed (e-mail wtwu@mx.nthu.edu.tw).

Acetobacter xylinum for bacterial cellulose production was cultivated in a modified airlift reactor. Better results were obtained from the modified reactor than from a conventional bubble column. After 72 h of cultivation, the final concentration of bacterial cellulose was 7.72 g/l and the productivity was 0.107 g/l per h in the modified airlift reactor. The concentration of bacterial cellulose was about three times higher than that produced in the conventional bubble column. Moreover, the bacterial cellulose produced using the modified reactor formed a unique elliptical pellet (the average diameter was 10 mm), which is different from the fibrous form produced using the stirred-tank reactor. The modified airlift reactor with the suspended bacterial cellulose in pellet form had a higher volumetric oxygen-transfer coefficient and mixing capability than that with bacterial cellulose in fibrous form. The dissolved oxygen in the modified airlift reactor could be maintained above 35% throughout the cultivation.

Received 17 August 2001/27 November 2001; accepted 11 January 2002

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