Modelling and optimization of the cephalosporin C production bioprocess ina fed-batch bioreactor with invert sugar as substrate

Cephalosporin C production process optimization was studied based on four e xperiments carried out in an agitated and aerated tank fermenter operated a s a fed-batch reactor. The microorganism Cephalosporium acremonium ATCC 482 72 (C-10) was cultivated in a synthetic medium containing glucose as major carbon and energy source. The additional medium contained a hydrolyzed sucr ose solution as the main carbon and energy source and it was added after th e glucose depletion. By manipulating the supplementary feed rate, it was po ssible to increase antibiotic production. A mathematical model to represent the fed-batch production process was developed. It was observed that the m odel was applicable under different operation conditions, showing that opti mization studies can be made based on this model. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.