A novel membrane-integrated fermentation reactor system: application to pyruvic acid production in continuous culture by Torulopsis glabrata

• Published in: Bioprocess and biosystems engineering 2011-08, Vol.34 (6), p.721-725
• Main Authors: Sawai, Hideki, Mimitsuka, Takashi, Minegishi, Shin-ichi, Henmi, Masahiro, Yamada, Katsushige, Shimizu, Sakayu, Yonehara, Tetsu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acid production; Acids; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biological wastewater treatment; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; Candida glabrata - metabolism; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Fermentation; Filtration - instrumentation; Food Science; Fouling; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; Industrial and Production Engineering; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Industrial Microbiology - instrumentation; Membrane processes; Membrane reactors; Membranes; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Microbial engineering. Fermentation and microbial culture technology; Microbiology; Original Paper; Polyvinyls - chemistry; Pyruvic Acid - chemistry; Reactors; Torulopsis glabrata; Various methods and equipments; Yeasts
• ISSN: 1615-7591; 1615-7605
• DOI: 10.1007/s00449-011-0521-3

This paper describes the performance of a novel bio-reactor system, the membrane-integrated fermentation reactor (MFR), for efficient continuous fermentation. The MFR, equipped with an autoclavable polyvinylidene difluoride membrane, has normally been used for biological wastewater treatment. The productivity of the MFR system, applied to the continuous production of pyruvic acid by the yeast Torulopsis glabrata , was remarkably high. The volumetric productivity of pyruvic acid increased up to 4.2 g/l/h, about four times higher than that of batch fermentation. Moreover, the membrane was able to filter fermentation broth for more than 300 h without fouling even though the cell density of the fermentation broth reached 600 as OD 660 . Transmembrane pressure, used as an indicator of membrane fouling, remained below 5 kPa throughout the continuous fermentation. These results clearly indicate that the MFR system is a simple and highly efficient system that is applicable to the fermentative production of a range of biochemicals.