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CFD investigation of Schizochytrium sp. impeller configurations on cell growth and docosahexaenoic acid synthesis

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Abstract

Effects of impeller configurations on docosahexaenoic acid production and flow characteristics were investigated by Schizochytrium sp. in a 15 L bioreactor. 6-straight blade disc turbine (6-SBDT), 6-arrowy-blade disc turbine (6-ABDT) and down-pumping propeller (DPP) were combined to form different impeller configurations. Simulated results showed that configuration SSA consisting of upper two 6-SBDT and one bottom 6-ABDT possessed the worst oxygen supply capacity. But it obtained the highest DHA percentage of 48.17 % and DHA yield of 21.42 g/L, indicating that it was beneficial for DHA synthesis and converting glucose to biomass and lipids. Configuration SAS consisting of one middle 6-ABDT and two 6-SBDT provided better mixing capacity, which resulted in the maximum glucose consumption rate of 2.86 g/L h and the highest biomass of 108.09 g/L. This study would improve insight into understanding the relationship between flow field and the physiology of Schizochytrium sp. for the scale-up of industrial DHA production.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of China (No. 21225626), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21306085 and No. 21476111), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (No. 2014AA021701) and the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (No. 20133221120008).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, No. 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing, 211816, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaoyan Zhao, Lujing Ren, Dongsheng Guo, Wenjia Wu, Xiaojun Ji & He Huang

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  1. Xiaoyan Zhao
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  2. Lujing Ren
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  3. Dongsheng Guo
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Correspondence to Lujing Ren or He Huang.

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Zhao, X., Ren, L., Guo, D. et al. CFD investigation of Schizochytrium sp. impeller configurations on cell growth and docosahexaenoic acid synthesis. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 39, 1297–1304 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-016-1608-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-016-1608-7

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