Rational design of a 500 m3 fermenter for erythromycin production by Saccharopolyspora erythraea / 生物工程学报

Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic produced by Saccharopolyspora erythraea. Its yield is greatly affected by the fermentation conditions and the bioreactor configurations. In this study, a novel scale-up method for erythromycin fermentation was developed based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and time constant analysis. Firstly, the dissolved oxygen (DO) was determined as a key parameter according to the physiological properties of S. erythraea cultivated in a 50 L bioreactor. It was found that the time constant of oxygen supply (tmt) in a 500 m3 bioreactor should be less than 6.25 s in order to satisfy the organism's oxygen uptake rate (OUR). Subsequently, a 500 m3 bioreactor was designed using the time constant method combined with empirical correlations. The impeller combination with one BDT8 impeller at bottom and two MSX4 impellers at upper part was determined, and then validated by numerical simulation. The results indicated that the tmt of the bioreactor (< 6.25 s) and the fluid properties, including gas hold-up, shear stress and fluid vector, met the requirements of erythromycin fermentation. Finally, the industrial production of erythromycin in the 500 m3 showed the design method was applicable in large scale fermentation.

Influence of Oxygen Supply on Growth and Laccases Production by Pleurotus sajor-caju PS-2001 in Submerged Process

Abstract (1) Background: Oxygen supply is an important parameter to be considered in submerged cultures. This study evaluated the influence of different conditions for dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on laccases activities and growth of Pleurotus sajor-caju PS-2001 in submerged process in stirred-tank bioreactor. (2) Methods: Initially, three different conditions were tested: uncontrolled DO and minimum levels of 30% and 80% of saturation, with the pH controlled between 4.5 and 7.0. (3) Results: Best results were observed at 30% DO (26 U mL-1 of laccases at 96 h), whereas higher mycelial biomass was observed at 30% and 80% DO (above 4.5 g L-1). Four different conditions of DO (uncontrolled, 10%, 30% and 50% of saturation) were tested at pH 6.5, with higher laccases activity (80 U mL-1 at 66 h) and lower mycelial growth (1.36 g L-1 at 90 h) being achieved with DO of 30%. In this test, the highest values for volumetric productivity and specific yield factor were determined. Under the different pH conditions tested, the production of laccases is favoured at DO concentration of 30% of saturation, while superior DO levels favours fungal growth. (4) Conclusion: The results indicate that dissolved oxygen concentration is a critical factor for the culture of P. sajor-caju PS-2001 and has important effects not only on laccases production but also on fungal growth.

Influence of medium constituents on the biosynthesis of cephalosporin-C

Acremonium chrysogenum NCIM 1069 was used for the biosynthesis of cephalosporin-C (CPC) in batch mode of cultivation. The effect of different medium constituents for better yield of CPC was thoroughly investigated. From the results of the fermentation, it was found that ammonium sulphate as inorganic nitrogen source and methionine at the concentration of 0.4 percent are most suitable for higher yield of antibiotic. The variation in the C/N ratio on the biosynthesis of CPC showed that a C/N ratio of 8.0 is most suitable for maximum production of CPC