Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering (Bioproc Biosystems Eng)

Publications in this journal

• Article: Batch, fed-batch and repeated fed-batch fermentation processes of the marine thraustochytrid Schizochytrium sp. for producing docosahexaenoic acid.

  Liang Qu, Lu-Jing Ren, Guan-Nan Sun, Xiao-Jun Ji, Zhi-Kui Nie, He Huang
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  ABSTRACT: Different fermentation processes, including batch, fed-batch and repeated fed-batch processes by Schizochytrium sp., were studied and compared for the effective DHA-rich microbial lipids production. The comparison between different fermentation processes showed that fed-batch process was a more efficient cultivation strategy than the batch process. Among the four different feeding strategies, the glucose concentration feed-back feeding strategy had achieved the highest fermentation results of final cell dry weight, total lipids content, DHA content and DHA productivity of 72.37, 48.86, 18.38 g l(-1) and 138.8 mg l(-1) h(-1), respectively. The repeated fed-batch process had the advantages of reducing the time and cost for seed culture and inoculation between each fermentation cycles. The results of fermentation characteristics and lipid characterization of the repeated fed-batch process indicated that this repeated fed-batch process had promising industrialization prospect for the production of DHA-rich microbial lipids.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: Immobilization and characterisation of a lipase from a new source, Bacillus sp. ITP-001.

  Rebeca Y Cabrera-Padilla, Matheus Albuquerque, Renan T Figueiredo, Alini T Fricks, Elton Franceschi, Alvaro S Lima, Onelia A A Dos Santos, Daniel P Silva, Cleide M F Soares
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  ABSTRACT: A new source of lipase from Bacillus sp. ITP-001 was immobilized by physical adsorption on the polymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) in aqueous solution. The support and immobilized lipase were characterised, compared to the lyophilised lipase, with regard to the specific surface area, adsorption-desorption isotherms, pore volume (Vp) and size (dp) by nitrogen adsorption, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, chemical composition analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and biochemical properties. The immobilized enzyme displayed a shift in optimum pH towards the acidic side with an optimum at pH 4.0, whereas the optimum pH for the free enzyme was at pH 7.0; the optimum temperature of activity was 80 and 37 °C for the free and immobilized enzyme, respectively. The inactivation rate constant for the immobilized enzyme at 37 °C was 0.0038 h(-1) and the half-life was 182.41 h. The kinetic parameters obtained for the immobilized enzyme gave a Michaelis-Menten constant (K m) of 49.10 mM and a maximum reaction velocity (V max) of 205.03 U/g. Furthermore, the reuse of the lipase immobilized by adsorption allowed us to observe that it could be reused for 10 successive cycles, duration of each cycle (1 h), maintaining 33 % of the initial activity.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: Electrochemical surface modification of carbon mesh anode to improve the performance of air-cathode microbial fuel cells.

  Jianmei Luo, Meiling Chi, Hongyu Wang, Huanhuan He, Minghua Zhou
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  ABSTRACT: A convenient and promising alternative to surface modification of carbon mesh anode was fulfilled by electrochemical oxidation in the electrolyte of nitric acid or ammonium nitrate at ambient temperature. It was confirmed that such an anode modification method was low cost and effective not only in improving the efficiency of power generation in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for synthetic wastewater treatment, but also helping to reduce the period for MFCs start-up. The MFCs with anode modification in electrolyte of nitric acid performed the best, achieving a Coulombic efficiency enhancement of 71 %. As characterized, the electrochemical modification resulted in the decrease of the anode potential and internal resistance but the increase of current response and nitrogen-containing and oxygen-containing functional groups on the carbon surface, which might contribute to the enhancement on the performances of MFCs.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: Process optimization and production of polyhydroxybutyrate using palm jaggery as economical carbon source by marine sponge-associated Bacillus licheniformis MSBN12.

  G Sathiyanarayanan, G Saibaba, G Seghal Kiran, Joseph Selvin
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  ABSTRACT: The Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) producer, Bacillus licheniformis MSBN12 was isolated from the marine sponge Callyspongia diffusa. The PHB production of B. licheniformis MSBN12 was optimized using a four-factor Box-Behnken design to find the interactive effects of variables such as palm jaggery, wheat bran, seawater, and incubation temperature. The maximum yield of PHB (6.38 g/L) was achieved through response surface methodology-based optimization and the optimized conditions were further used for the batch and fed-batch fermentation. Maximum biomass was reached at 48 and 36 h of incubation with PHB accumulation of 62.91 and 67.16 % (w/w of dry cells) for batch and fed-batch process. The production of PHB under fed-batch process with B. licheniformis MSBN12 was increased threefold over shake flask culture when palm jaggery as sole carbon source. The ¹H NMR data was extrapolated with peaks of the PHB reference standard and confirmed as PHB analog.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: Fabrication of a circular PDMS microchannel for constructing a three-dimensional endothelial cell layer.

  Jong Seob Choi, Yunxian Piao, Tae Seok Seo
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  ABSTRACT: We describe a simple and efficient fabrication method for generating microfluidic channels with a circular cross-sectional geometry by exploiting the reflow phenomenon of a thick positive photoresist. Initial rectangular shaped positive photoresist micropatterns on a silicon wafer, which were fabricated by a conventional photolithography process, were converted into a half-circular shape by tuning the temperature to around 105 °C. Through optimization of the reflow conditions, we could obtain a perfect circular micropattern of the positive photoresist, and control the diameter in a range from 100 to 400 μm. The resultant convex half-circular photoresist was used as a template for fabricating a concave polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) through a replica molding process, and a circular PDMS microchannel was produced by bonding two half-circular PDMS layers. A variety of channel dimensions and patterns can be easily prepared, including straight, S-curve, X-, Y-, and T-shapes to mimic an in vivo vascular network. To form an endothelial cell layer, we cultured primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells inside circular PDMS microchannels, and demonstrated successful cell adhesion, proliferation, and alignment along the channel.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: D-Lactic acid biosynthesis from biomass-derived sugars via Lactobacillus delbrueckii fermentation.

  Yixing Zhang, Praveen V Vadlani
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  ABSTRACT: Poly-lactic acid (PLA) derived from renewable resources is considered to be a good substitute for petroleum-based plastics. The number of poly L-lactic acid applications is increased by the introduction of a stereocomplex PLA, which consists of both poly-L and D-lactic acid and has a higher melting temperature. To date, several studies have explored the production of L-lactic acid, but information on biosynthesis of D-lactic acid is limited. Pulp and corn stover are abundant, renewable lignocellulosic materials that can be hydrolyzed to sugars and used in biosynthesis of D-lactic acid. In our study, saccharification of pulp and corn stover was done by cellulase CTec2 and sugars generated from hydrolysis were converted to D-lactic acid by a homofermentative strain, L. delbrueckii, through a sequential hydrolysis and fermentation process (SHF) and a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process (SSF). 36.3 g L(-1) of D-lactic acid with 99.8 % optical purity was obtained in the batch fermentation of pulp and attained highest yield and productivity of 0.83 g g(-1) and 1.01 g L(-1) h(-1), respectively. Luedeking-Piret model described the mixed growth-associated production of D-lactic acid with a maximum specific growth rate 0.2 h(-1) and product formation rate 0.026 h(-1), obtained for this strain. The efficient synthesis of D-lactic acid having high optical purity and melting point will lead to unique stereocomplex PLA with innovative applications in polymer industry.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: Membrane fluidity of halophilic ectoine-secreting bacteria related to osmotic and thermal treatment.

  Sven Bergmann, Florian David, Wiebke Clark, Christoph Wittmann, Rainer Krull
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  ABSTRACT: In response to sudden decrease in osmotic pressure, halophilic microorganisms secrete their accumulated osmolytes. This specific stress response, combined with physiochemical responses to the altered environment, influence the membrane properties and integrity of cells, with consequent effects on growth and yields in bioprocesses, such as bacterial milking. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in membrane fluidity and integrity induced by environmental stress in ectoine-secreting organisms. The halophilic ectoine-producing strains Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus and Chromohalobacter salexigens were treated hypo- and hyper-osmotically at several temperatures. The steady-state anisotropy of fluorescently labeled cells was measured, and membrane integrity assessed by flow cytometry and ectoine distribution. Strong osmotic downshocks slightly increased the fluidity of the bacterial membranes. As the temperature increased, the increasing membrane fluidity encouraged more ectoine release under the same osmotic shock conditions. On the other hand, combined shock treatments increased the number of disintegrated cells. From the ectoine release and membrane integrity measurements under coupled thermal and osmotic shock conditions, we could optimize the secretion conditions for both bacteria.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: At-line near-infrared spectroscopy for monitoring concentrations in temperature-triggered glutamate fermentation.

  Jingbo Liang, Dalong Zhang, Xuan Guo, Qingyang Xu, Xixian Xie, Chenglin Zhang, Gang Bai, Xue Xiao, Ning Chen
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  ABSTRACT: Rapid development in the glutamate fermentation industry has dictated the need for effective fermentation monitoring by rapid and precise methods that provide real-time information for quality control of the end-product. In recent years, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and multivariate calibration have been developed as fast, inexpensive, non-destructive and environmentally safe techniques for industrial applications. The purpose of this study was to develop models for monitoring glutamate, glucose, lactate and alanine concentrations in the temperature-triggered process of glutamate fermentation. NIR measurements of eight batches of samples were analyzed by partial least-squares regression with several spectral pre-processing methods. The coefficient of determination (R (2)), model root-mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), root-mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and residual predictive deviation (RPD) of the test calibration for the glutamate concentration were 0.997, 3.11 g/L, 2.56 g/L and 19.81, respectively. For the glucose concentration, R (2), RMSEC, RMSEP and RPD were 0.989, 1.37 g/L, 1.29 g/L and 9.72, respectively. For the lactate concentration, R (2), RMSEC, RMSEP and RPD were 0.975, 0.078 g/L, 0.062 g/L and 6.29, respectively. For the alanine concentration, R (2), RMSEC, RMSEP and RPD were 0.964, 0.213 g/L, 0.243 g/L and 5.29, respectively. New batch fermentation as an external validation was used to check the models, and the results suggested that the predictive capacity of the models for the glutamate fermentation process was good.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: Ultrasonic pretreatment and acid hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse for succinic acid production using Actinobacillus succinogenes.

  Yong-Lan Xi, Wen-Yu Dai, Rong Xu, Jiu-Hua Zhang, Ke-Quan Chen, Min Jiang, Ping Wei, Ping-Kai Ouyang
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  ABSTRACT: Immense interest has been devoted to the production of bulk chemicals from lignocellulose biomass. Diluted sulfuric acid treatment is currently one of the main pretreatment methods. However, the low total sugar concentration obtained via such pretreatment limits industrial fermentation systems that use lignocellulosic hydrolysate. Sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose hydrolysate is used as the carbon and nitrogen sources to achieve a green and economical production of succinic acid in this study. Sugarcane bagasse was ultrasonically pretreated for 40 min, with 43.9 g/L total sugar obtained after dilute acid hydrolysis. The total sugar concentration increased by 29.5 %. In a 3-L fermentor, using 30 g/L non-detoxified total sugar as the carbon source, succinic acid production increased to 23.7 g/L with a succinic acid yield of 79.0 % and a productivity of 0.99 g/L/h, and 60 % yeast extract in the medium could be reduced. Compared with the detoxified sugar preparation method, succinic acid production and yield were improved by 20.9 and 20.2 %, respectively.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: Comparison of biomass production and total lipid content of freshwater green microalgae cultivated under various culture conditions.

  Geun Ho Gim, Jung Kon Kim, Hyeon Seok Kim, Mathur Nadarajan Kathiravan, Hetong Yang, Sang-Hwa Jeong, Si Wouk Kim
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  ABSTRACT: The growth and total lipid content of four green microalgae (Chlorella sp., Chlorella vulgaris CCAP211/11B, Botryococcus braunii FC124 and Scenedesmus obliquus R8) were investigated under different culture conditions. Among the various carbon sources tested, glucose produced the largest biomass or microalgae grown heterotrophically. It was found that 1 % (w/v) glucose was actively utilized by Chlorella sp., C. vulgaris CCAP211/11B and B. braunii FC124, whereas S. obliquus R8 preferred 2 % (w/v) glucose. No significant difference in biomass production was noted between heterotrophic and mixotrophic (heterotrophic with light illumination/exposure) growth conditions, however, less production was observed for autotrophic cultivation. Total lipid content in cells increased by approximately two-fold under mixotrophic cultivation with respect to heterotrophic and autotrophic cultivation. In addition, light intensity had an impact on microalgal growth and total lipid content. The highest total lipid content was observed at 100 μmol m(-2)s(-1) for Chlorella sp. (22.5 %) and S. obliquus R8 (23.7 %) and 80 μmol m(-2)s(-1) for C. vulgaris CCAP211/11B (20.1 %) and B. braunii FC124 (34.9 %).
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: A kinetic study on bacterial sulfate reduction.

  L A Bernardez, L R P de Andrade Lima, E B de Jesus, C L S Ramos, P F Almeida
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  ABSTRACT: The activity of anaerobic sulfate reduction was studied using sulfate-reducing bacteria isolated from the water produced from a Brazilian oil reservoir. The effects of the initial sulfate concentration on the anaerobic sulfate reduction and sulfide generation kinetics were investigated. The redox potential, the biomass solution content, and the sulfate and the sulfide solution content were measured. The results indicate that the sulfate conversion and the sulfide generation are both first-order processes for the initial sulfate concentration of 823, 1,282, and 1,790 mg/L. The results for the kinetic constants for the sulfate conversion indicate an inhibition with the enhancement of the initial sulfate solution content. The kinetic constants for the sulfide generation indicate that this reaction is almost independent of the initial sulfate solution content due to the presence of at least two in-series processes that are faster than the microbial conversion of the sulfate. The kinetic test using the water from an onshore oil field, with an initial sulfide content of 228 mg/L and sulfate content of 947 mg/L, shows a sulfate conversion of 50 % in 528 h. The kinetic modeling for the net content of sulfate and sulfide indicates that the sulfate conversion is slower for this water than for the deionized water tests; however, the sulfide formation has almost the same conversion velocity. The reactions are first order in both cases.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: Influence of flow rate variation on the development of Escherichia coli biofilms.

  J M R Moreira, J S Teodósio, F C Silva, M Simões, L F Melo, F J Mergulhão
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  ABSTRACT: This work investigates the effect of flow rate variation on mass transfer and on the development of Escherichia coli biofilms on a flow cell reactor under turbulent flow conditions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to assess the applicability of this reactor for the simulation of industrial and biomedical biofilms and the numerical results were validated by streak photography. Two flow rates of 374 and 242 L h(-1) (corresponding to Reynolds numbers of 6,720 and 4,350) were tested and wall shear stresses between 0.183 and 0.511 Pa were predicted in the flow cell reactor. External mass transfer coefficients of 1.38 × 10(-5) and 9.64 × 10(-6) m s(-1) were obtained for the higher and lower flow rates, respectively. Biofilm formation was favored at the lowest flow rate because shear stress effects were more important than mass transfer limitations. This flow cell reactor generates wall shear stresses that are similar to those found in some industrial and biomedical settings, thus it is likely that the results obtained on this work can be used in the development of biofilm control strategies in both scenarios.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 05/2013;
• Article: Reversible immobilization of invertase on Cu-chelated polyvinylimidazole-grafted iron oxide nanoparticles.

  Kerem Uzun, Emre Cevik, Mehmet Senel, Abdülhadi Baykal
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  ABSTRACT: Polyvinylimidazole (PVI)-grafted iron oxide nanoparticles (PVIgMNP) were prepared by grafting of telomere of PVI on the iron oxide nanoparticles. Different metal ions (Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cr(2+), Ni(2+)) ions were chelated on polyvinylimidazole-grafted iron oxide nanoparticles, and then the metal-chelated magnetic particles were used in the adsorption of invertase. The maximum invertase immobilization capacity of the PVIgMNP-Cu(2+) beads was observed to be 142.856 mg/g (invertase/PVIgMNP) at pH 5.0. The values of the maximum reaction rate (V max) and Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) were determined for the free and immobilized enzymes. The enzyme adsorption-desorption studies, pH effect on the adsorption efficiency, affinity of different metal ions, the kinetic parameters and storage stability of free and immobilized enzymes were evaluated.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 04/2013;
• Article: Enhancement of ε-poly-L-lysine production coupled with precursor L-lysine feeding in glucose-glycerol co-fermentation by Streptomyces sp. M-Z18.

  Xu-Sheng Chen, Xi-Dong Ren, Xin Zeng, Fu-Lin Zhao, Lei Tang, Hong-Jian Zhang, Jian-Hua Zhang, Zhong-Gui Mao
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  ABSTRACT: ε-Poly-L-lysine (ε-PL), one of the only two homo-poly amino acids known in nature, is used as a preservative. In this study, strategies of feeding precursor L-lysine into 5 L laboratory scale fermenters, including optimization of L-lysine concentration and time, was investigated to optimize the production of ε-PL by Streptomyces sp. M-Z18. The optimized strategy was then used in ε-PL fed-batch fermentation in which glucose and glycerol served as mixed carbon sources. In this way, a novel ε-PL production strategy involving precursor L-lysine coupled with glucose-glycerol co-fermentation was developed. Under optimal conditions, ε-PL production reached 37.6 g/l, which was 6.2 % greater than in a previous study in which glucose and glycerol co-fermentation was performed without added L-lysine (35.14 g/l). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the enhancement of ε-PL production through L-lysine feeding to evaluate the use of fermenters. Meanwhile, the role of L-lysine in the promotion of ε-PL production, participating ε-PL synthesis as a whole, was first determined using the L-[U-(13)C] lysine labeling method. It has been suggested that the bottleneck of ε-PL synthesis in Streptomyces sp. M-Z18 is in the biosynthesis of precursor L-lysine. The information obtained in the present work may facilitate strain improvement and efficient large-scale ε-PL production.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 04/2013;
• Article: Enhancement of adenosine production by Bacillus subtilis CGMCC 4484 through metabolic flux analysis and simplified feeding strategies.

  Xiaochun Chen, Chunwei Zhang, Jian Cheng, Xinchi Shi, Lei Li, Zhi Zhang, Jianxin Bai, Yong Chen, Shuya Li, Hanjie Ying
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  ABSTRACT: The objective of this research was to understand how the initial glucose concentration influences adenosine (AR) production and metabolic flux shift on the cultivation of Bacillus subtilis CGMCC 4484. Experiments confirmed that initial glucose concentration affects cell growth, AR production and metabolites, significantly. The flux distribution at the key nodes of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), pyruvate (PYR) and acetyl coenzyme-A (AcCoA) could be affected by changing the glucose concentration. Based on kinetic analysis of specific rates, the low-glucose concentration was better for both cell growth and AR production during the first 12 h. However, the high-glucose concentration was more favorable for AR formation after 18 h. Furthermore, different simplified feeding strategies were designed to achieve higher AR accumulation. The final AR concentration of 15.60 g L(-1) was achieved when an optimized constant-feeding strategy was used, which was 21.02 % higher than batch fermentation. This was the first time to investigate the regulation of the glucose metabolism of AR-producing B. subtilis.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 04/2013;
• Article: An in silico erythropoiesis model rationalizing synergism between stem cell factor and erythropoietin.

  Tran Hong Ha Phan, Pritha Saraf, Alexandros Kiparissides, Athanasios Mantalaris, Hao Song, Mayasari Lim
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  ABSTRACT: Stem cell factor (SCF) and erythropoietin (EPO) are two most recognized growth factors that play in concert to control in vitro erythropoiesis. However, exact mechanisms underlying the interplay of these growth factors in vitro remain unclear. We developed a mathematical model to study co-signaling effects of SCF and EPO utilizing the ERK1/2 and GATA-1 pathways (activated by SCF and EPO) that drive the proliferation and differentiation of erythroid progenitors. The model was simplified and formulated based on three key features: synergistic contribution of SCF and EPO on ERK1/2 activation, positive feedback effects on proliferation and differentiation, and cross-inhibition effects of activated ERK1/2 and GATA-1. The model characteristics were developed to correspond with biological observations made known thus far. Our simulation suggested that activated GATA-1 has a more dominant cross-inhibition effect and stronger positive feedback response on differentiation than the proliferation pathway, while SCF contributed more to the activation of ERK1/2 than EPO. A sensitivity analysis performed to gauge the dynamics of the system was able to identify the most sensitive model parameters and illustrated a contribution of transient activity in EPO ligand to growth factor synergism. Based on theoretical arguments, we have successfully developed a model that can simulate growth factor synergism observed in vitro for erythropoiesis. This hypothesized model can be applied to further computational studies in biological systems where synergistic effects of two ligands are seen.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 04/2013;
• Article: Citric acid production from extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers by the genetically engineered yeast Yarrowia lipolytica strain 30 and purification of citric acid.

  Ling-Fei Wang, Zhi-Peng Wang, Xiao-Yan Liu, Zhen-Ming Chi
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  ABSTRACT: In this study, citric acid production from extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers by the genetically engineered yeast Yarrowia lipolytica strain 30 was investigated. After the compositions of the extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers for citric acid production were optimized, the results showed that natural components of extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers without addition of any other components were suitable for citric acid production by the yeast strain. During 10 L fermentation using the extract containing 84.3 g L(-1) total sugars, 68.3 g L(-1) citric acid was produced and the yield of citric acid was 0.91 g g(-1) within 336 h. At the end of the fermentation, 9.2 g L(-1) of residual total sugar and 2.1 g L(-1) of reducing sugar were left in the fermented medium. At the same time, citric acid in the supernatant of the culture was purified. It was found that 67.2 % of the citric acid in the supernatant of the culture was recovered and purity of citric acid in the crystal was 96 %.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 04/2013;
• Article: Bio-composites composed of a solid free-form fabricated polycaprolactone and alginate-releasing bone morphogenic protein and bone formation peptide for bone tissue regeneration.

  Minsung Kim, Won-Kyo Jung, Geunhyung Kim
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  ABSTRACT: Biomedical scaffolds should be designed with highly porous three-dimensional (3D) structures that have mechanical properties similar to the replaced tissue, biocompatible properties, and biodegradability. Here, we propose a new composite composed of solid free-form fabricated polycaprolactone (PCL), bone morphogenic protein (BMP-2) or bone formation peptide (BFP-1), and alginate for bone tissue regeneration. In this study, PCL was used as a mechanical supporting component to enhance the mechanical properties of the final biocomposite and alginate was used as the deterring material to control the release of BMP-2 and BFP-1. A release test revealed that alginate can act as a good release control material. The in vitro biocompatibilities of the composites were examined using osteoblast-like cells (MG63) and the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium deposition were assessed. The in vitro test results revealed that PCL/BFP-1/Alginate had significantly higher ALP activity and calcium deposition than the PCL/BMP-2/Alginate composite. Based on these findings, release-controlled BFP-1 could be a good growth factor for enhancement of bone tissue growth and the simple-alginate coating method will be a useful tool for fabrication of highly functional biomaterials through release-control supplementation.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 04/2013;
• Article: Impact of operating conditions on performance of a novel gas double-dynamic solid-state fermentation bioreactor (GDSFB).

  Hongzhang Chen, Yanjun Li, Fujian Xu
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  ABSTRACT: A self-designed novel solid-state fermentation (SSF) bioreactor named "gas double-dynamic solid-state fermentation bioreactor (GDSFB)" showed great success in processes for the production of several valuable products. For the present study, a simple GDSFB (2 L in volume) was designed to investigate the impact of exhaust time on SSF performance. Both air pressure and vent aperture significantly influenced the exhaust time. The production of cellulase by Penicillium decumbens JUA10 was studied in this bioreactor. When the vent aperture was maintained at 0.2 cm, the highest FPA activity of 17.2 IU/g dry solid-state medium was obtained at an air pressure of 0.2 MPa (gauge pressure). When the air pressure was maintained at 0.2 MPa, a vent aperture of 0.3 cm gave the highest FPA activity of 18.0 IU/g dry solid-state medium. Further analysis revealed that the exhaust time was a crucial indicator of good performance in GDSFB.
  Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 04/2013;