PRODUCTION OF BACTERIAL CELLULOSE BY ACETOBACTER-XYLINUM WITH AN AIRLIFT REACTOR

Bacterial cellulose was produced by Acetobacter xylinum subsp.surcrofe rmentans BPR2001 in a 50 liter air-lift reactor using fructose as the main carbon source. When air was supplied, the production of the cellu lose was only 2.3 g/l in 80 h but when O-2-fortified air was supplied, the cellulose concentration increased to 5.63 g/l in 28 h and the pro ductivity of the cellulose in an air-lift reactor with O-2-fortified a ir supply was comparable to that in a mechanically agitated jar fermen ter.