posted on 2008-07-08, 11:48authored byRichard J.L. Meanwell, Gilbert Shama
Streptomyces griseus was cultured in three different bioreactors in a medium containing chitin flakes. When a conventional bioreactor stirred by two sets of Rushton impellers and operated at high speed was used, the yield of streptomycin (3.1 mg/l) was the highest observed and occurred at approximately 500 hours. Cultivation of S. griseus in a bioreactor stirred at low speed by a U-shaped paddle resulted in a lower yield of streptomycin (1.8 mg/l) but this was achieved in a shorter period of time (400 hours). Increasing the concentration of chitin from 5 to 10 % w/v had no significant effect on either of these two parameters. The use of a novel vertical basket bioreactor in which the chitin flakes were contained within a wire mesh basket and were gently fluidised by air, enabled comparatively high yields of streptomycin (2.8 mg/l) in the relatively short time of 300 hours.
History
School
Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Department
Chemical Engineering
Citation
MEANWELL, R.J.L. and SHAMA, G., 2008. Production of streptomycin from chitin using Streptomyces griseus in bioreactors of different configuration. Bioresource technology, 99(13), pp.5634-5639