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A combination of methods for the on-line determination of alcohols in microbial cultures

  • Industrial Microbiology
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European journal of applied microbiology and biotechnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A new method for the continuous on-line determination of methanol (range 0.2 to 10 gl−1) and ethanol (0.2 to 120 gl−1) is described. The rate limiting step is diffusion of the alcohol through the walls of a silicone tube immersed in the culture broth. A sintered SnO2 sensor was used instead of a Flame Ionization Detector for alcohol determination. Measurement is not affected by bioreactor aeration or agitation rates, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, ammonia or the concentration of cells in the medium. The assay system was tested in extended batch cultivation of Methylomonas sp. with methanol as the sole carbon source (final biomass concentration, 35 gl−1). Sensor readings agreed well with simultaneous off-line gas chromatographic methanol determination.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair of Microbiology, ETH-Hönggerberg, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland

    E. Puhar, L. H. Guerra, I. Lorencez & A. Fiechter

Authors
  1. E. Puhar
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  2. L. H. Guerra
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  3. I. Lorencez
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  4. A. Fiechter
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Puhar, E., Guerra, L.H., Lorencez, I. et al. A combination of methods for the on-line determination of alcohols in microbial cultures. European J. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 9, 227–233 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00504489

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00504489

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