6533b82bfe1ef96bd128e06a

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Flame-burned stainless steel wire spheres as carriers ofZymomonas mobilis cells and extracellular levansucrase

subject

description

In the present work, the use of flame-burned WS as carriers of Z. mobilis and extracellular levansucrase and the effect of the cell fixation method by dehydration on system productivity were investigated. Lyophilization and convective drying of Z. mobilis biomass at 30°C to a moisture content of 10–14% gave the best results for the repeated batch fermentations of a sucrose medium to obtain levan and ethanol. Significant correlation between the product formation and the concentration of free cells in the fermentation medium was established. Clearly, the cells were weakly bound to the newly generated WS and were washed out into the medium during fermentation. Here the hypothesis is presented that components excreted from damaged cells during dehydration can intensify the reactivation of damaged living cells and influence the interactions between the cells and the wire surface. The passive immobilization of extracellular levansucrase in oxidized WS was also observed. The superiority of oxidized WS in comparison with non-treated WS is related to an increase in the number of OH groups. The potential regeneration of WS by burning after the termination of fermentation cycles was also considered.