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A biological system for studies on mixing in bioreactors

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Abstract

A method for studying bioreactor inhomogeneity is suggested. Oxygen depletion in an E. coli cultivation leads to mixed acid fermentation with hydrogen gas production. Using a palladium metal-oxide semiconductor (Pd-MOS) hydrogen sensor on line in the effluent gas, it is shown that in a batch culture of 1 m3 hydrogen gas was evolved even before the dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) as measured by the probe reached zero. This suggests an appreciable degree of inhomogeneity with respect to DOT. Using measurements performed off line, it was observed that the lag time for hydrogen to appear became greater if the cells had been subjected to oxygen depletion. Lack of oxygen also resulted in a lowered hydrogen evolution capacity of the cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Royal-Institute of Technology, S-10044, Stockholm, Sweden

    N. Cleland & S. -O. Enfors

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  1. N. Cleland
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  2. S. -O. Enfors
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Cleland, N., Enfors, S.O. A biological system for studies on mixing in bioreactors. Bioprocess Engineering 2, 115–120 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387253

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387253

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