Collection

Foam formation and foam destruction in biotechnology

Submission status
Closed
Foam formation is a topic, which is highly relevant in the food-, beverage-, and majorly in the fermentation industry. We all experienced the challenges of foam formation during aerated microbial cultures. While often a drop of antifoam is sufficient in the lab, this option is not always viable in industrial settings. Especially, in biosurfactant production, foam formation is a tough challenge. Many technical means to control or even to eliminate foam formation have been published already. The techniques range from limited aeration, reduced stirring, use of antifoam, to more technical means such as foam fractionation, or foam collapsing via foam centrifuges and ultra sound. We are looking for contributions in these fields as well as novel approaches for foam handling. This special issue will also give room for characterization of foams and foam forming substances as well as for investigations of physico-chemical phenomena. The contributing authors will together with the editors compile a collection of articles from fundamental basics of foams via laboratory handling of foam to real-world solutions for excessive foaming.

We are aiming at original research on all aspects of foam formation and destruction, while also welcoming reviews that cover relevant aspects of this topic.

Articles will undergo all of the journal's standard peer review and editorial processes outlined in its submission guidelines

Keywords: Fermentation, Foam fractionation, Amphiphilic substances, Biosurfactants, Proteins, Anti-foaming and defoaming agents, Gas-liquid interface, Metabolic Engineering

Editors

  • Lars M. Blank Lars M. Blank  &

    Lars M. Blank

    Professor Lars M. Blank, RWTH Aachen University, Germany. Lars M. Blank is a professor for applied microbiology at the RWTH Aachen University, Germany. In his research he focuses on fundamental and applied aspects of microbial metabolism. Of specific interest is the interaction between the metabolic network and the introduced genetic and environmental perturbations with the ultimate goal of rational cell engineering. He contributed to 200+ peer reviewed publications and 10 patent applications.

  • Till Tiso Till Tiso

    Till Tiso

    Dr. Till Tiso, RWTH Aachen University, Germany. Till Tiso is research group leader at the RWTH Aachen University. Among other topics he investigates different aspects of biosurfactant production - from strain design to lab-scale process development.

Articles (7 in this collection)