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Optimal Production of a Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 4277 Biocatalyst for Biodesulfurization and Biodenitrogenation Applications

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Abstract

Rhodococcus sp. has a broad catabolic diversity and unique enzymatic capabilities, and it is able to adapt under extreme conditions. Thereby, the production of this remarkable bacterium has a great biotechnological and industrial importance. In this sense, we sought to improve the R. erythropolis ATCC 4277 growth through a central composite design, by varying the components of nutrient medium (glucose, malt extract, yeast extract, CaCO3), temperature, and agitation. It was found that the concentrations of glucose and malt extract are not statistically significant, being reduced of 4.0 and 10.0 g L-1 to 2.0 and 5.0 g L−1, respectively. The CaCO3 concentration and temperature were also diminished of 2.0 to 1.16 g L−1and 28 to 23.7 °C, respectively. Optimal growth conditions provided a 240% increase in final biomass concentration, an increment in specific growth rate, and a growth yield coefficient about five times greater. Application of the optimal conditions in biodesulfurization and biodenitrogenation processes showed that desulfurization capability is not associated with optimal growth conditions; however, it was achieved a 47% of nitrogen removal in the assay containing 10% (w/w) of heavy gas oil.

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Abbreviations

\( {C}_m^{\exp } \) :

Experimental concentration at the point m (g L−1)

\( {C}_m^{\mathrm{num}} \) :

Numerical concentration at the point m (g L−1)

C i :

Initial concentration of S or N (mg g−1)

C f :

Final concentration of S or N (mg g−1)

F obj :

Objective function (g L−1)

K s :

Saturation constant (g L−1)

m :

Sampling point

m HGO :

Mass of HGO

m removed :

Total mass of S or N removed

n :

Total number of observations

S :

Substrate concentration (g L−1)

S o :

Initial substrate concentration (g L−1)

t :

Time (h)

u max :

Maximum specific growth rate (h−1)

u X :

Specific growth rate (h−1)

Y X/S :

Growth yield coefficient

X :

Biomass concentration (g L−1)

X o :

Initial biomass concentration (g L−1)

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank CAPES and CNPq for the financial support of this work and scholarships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Transferência de Massa, Departamento de Engenharia Química e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, PO Box 476, Florianopolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil

    Diego Todescato, Danielle Maass, Diego Alex Mayer, J. Vladimir Oliveira, Débora de Oliveira, Selene M. A. Guelli Ulson de Souza & Antônio Augusto Ulson de Souza

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  1. Diego Todescato
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  2. Danielle Maass
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Correspondence to Débora de Oliveira.

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Todescato, D., Maass, D., Mayer, D.A. et al. Optimal Production of a Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 4277 Biocatalyst for Biodesulfurization and Biodenitrogenation Applications. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 183, 1375–1389 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-017-2505-5

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