Abstract:
In this research, the important factors and criteria for scaling up the fermentation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) or P(3HB) were determined in order to achieve high production rate and yield of P(3HB) by Bacillus megaterium BA-019. The preliminary fermentation data obtained from the study in a 10 L stirred fermentor were used for the prediction of the process conditions tested in a 90 L stirred fermentor. The related engineering parameters used in the calculation include power input per unit volume (P/V), impeller tip speed (Ni), and impeller Reynolds number (Rei). Initially, the fermentation study in the 10 L stirred fermentor was carried out. It was observed that high production rate and yield of P(3HB) could be achieved from high cell density of B. megaterium BA-019 cultivated in the simple medium containing molasses. Among 4 initial concentrations of molasses present in the medium, 60 g/L total sugars initially present in the molasses medium gave the maximum cell growth (32.48 g/L) and P(3HB) production (8.75 g/L) at 12 h with the corresponding specific growth rate of 0.23 h-1, biomass yield to substrate (Yx/s) of 0.66, P(3HB) yield to substrate (YP(3HB)/s) of 0.19, and P(3HB) yield to cell (YP(3HB)/x) of 0.28 in batch cultivation. Further increasing cell and P(3HB) production were accomplished in fed-batch cultivation. The effects of C/N ratios and feeding techniques on cell and P(3HB) production were investigated during fed-batch fermentation. Using exponential feeding, the optimal feeding medium with the C/N ratio of 12.5:1 gave maximum cell concentration of 72.97 g/L and P(3HB) concentration of 38.56 g/L at 21 h cultivation with the increasing P(3HB) productivity of 1.84 g/L h as compared to 0.73 g/L h obtained from batch culture. After batch cultivation for 9 h, feeding the fermentor with the molasses medium (C/N of 12.5:1) using rectangular pulse technique yielded the high biomass and P(3HB) production of 90.71 g/L and 41.58 g/L, respectively with the corresponding P(3HB) productivity of 1.73 g/L h within 24 h. From the optimal operating condition to achieve high biomass and P(3HB) production, the batch fermentations in the 90 L stirred bioreactor were tested for determining the well-suited engineering parameter for scaling up P(3HB) fermentation. Comparing the results in both batch and fed-batch cultivations in 10 L stirred fermentor with those in 90 L stirred fermentation, it was evident that the impeller tip speed is the most suitable scaling up criteria for P(3HB) production from the molasses medium.