M. Parekh et al., Pilot-scale production of butanol by Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 using a low-cost fermentation medium based on corn steep water, APPL MICR B, 51(2), 1999, pp. 152-157
To improve the economic competitiveness of the acetone/butanol/ethanol ferm
entation process, glucose/corn steep water (CSW) medium was used on a pilot
scale for the production of solvents. The production of butanol by the Clo
stridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 parent strain and the solvent-hyperproduci
ng BA101 mutant was compared. In a 20-1 fermentation using 5% glucose/CSW m
edium, C. beijerinckii 8052 produced 8.5 g butanol/l and 5 g acetone/l, whi
le C. beijerinckii BA101 produced 16 g butanol/l and 7.5 g acetone/l. Furth
er studies were carried out on a larger scale using an optimized 6% glucose
/CSW medium. In a 200-1 pilot-scale fermenter, C. beijerinckii 8052 produce
d 12.7 g butanol/l and 6 g acetone/l following 96 h of fermentation. C. bei
jerinckii BA101 produced 17.8 g/l and 5.5 g/l butanol and acetone respectiv
ely, following 130 h of fermentation. These results represent a 40% increas
e in final butanol concentration by the C. beijerinckii BA101 mutant strain
when compared to the 8052 parent strain. The total solvents (acetone, buta
nol, and ethanol) produced by C. beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 and BA101 in a 200
-1 fermentation were 19.2 g/l and 23.6 g/l respectively. This is the first
report of pilot-scale butanol production by the solvent-hyperproducing C. b
eijerinckii BA101 mutant employing an inexpensive glucose/CSW medium.