Abstract
An optimized repeated-fed-batch fermentation process for the synthesis of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) from glycerol utilizing Gluconobacter oxydans is presented. Cleaning, sterilization, and inoculation procedures could be reduced significantly compared to the conventional fed-batch process. A stringent requirement was that the product concentration was kept below a critical threshold level at all times in order to avoid irreversible product inhibition of the cells. On the basis of experimentally validated model calculations, a threshold value of about 60 kg m-3 DHA was obtained. The innovative bioreactor system consisted of a stirred tank reactor combined with a packed trickle-bed column. In the packed column, active cells could be retained by in situ immobilization on a hydrophilized Ralu-ring carrier material. Within 17 days, the productivity of the process could be increased by 75% to about 2.8 kg m-3 h-1. However, it was observed that the maximum achievable productivity had not been reached yet.
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Abbreviations
- K O :
-
Monod half saturation constant of dissolved oxygen (kg m-3)
- K S :
-
Monod half saturation constant of substrate glycerol (kg m-3)
- O :
-
Dissolved oxygen concentration (kg m-3)
- P :
-
Product concentration (kg m-3)
- P crit :
-
Critical product concentration constant (kg m-3)
- S :
-
Substrate concentration (kg m-3)
- t :
-
Time (s)
- X :
-
Biomass concentration (dry weight) (kg m-3)
- Y P/S :
-
Yield coefficient of product from substrate
- Y X/S :
-
Yield coefficient of biomass from substrate
- α :
-
Growth dependent specific production rate constant (kg m-3)
- β :
-
Growth independent specific production rate constant (s-1)
- μ :
-
Specific growth rate (s-1)
- μ max :
-
Maximum specific growth rate constant (s-1)
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Acknowledgements
The financial support of this work by the Volkswagen-Stiftung, Hannover, Germany, by grant No. I/72433, is gratefully acknowledged.
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Hekmat, D., Bauer, R. & Fricke, J. Optimization of the microbial synthesis of dihydroxyacetone from glycerol with Gluconobacter oxydans . Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 26, 109–116 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-003-0338-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-003-0338-9