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Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Performance of Short Chain Length Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production by Comamonas sp EB172 in Large Scale Bioreactors Based on Constant Impeller Tip Speed

Tabassum Mumtaz, Mitra Mohammadi, Lian- Ngit Yee, Suraini Abd-Aziz, Phang Lai Yee, Hidayah Ariffin, Yoshihito Shirai, Mohd Ali Hassan

Biotechnology Journal International · pp. 1–11 · Published 18 Apr 2016

10.9734/BBJ/2016/24684

Abstract

Aims: In this study, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) or PHBV, a short chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) production by a local isolate Comamonas sp. EB172 using 500 g/L mixed organic acids were investigated in 10 L and 150 L stirred tank bioreactors based on constant impeller tip speed (minimum 0.56 m/s and maximum 2.22 m/s). Results: The ratio of the three acids i.e., acetic, butyric, and propionic, were 2:1:1, mimicking clarified mixed acids obtained from anaerobically treated palm oil mill effluent. In pH controlled fed-batch cultivation, in 10 L bioreactor, the strain could accumulate 84% PHBV with biomass concentration of about 4.08 g/L under dual nutrient limitation strategy i.e., dissolved oxygen and nitrogen limited conditions. By maintaining similar tip speed in 150 L bioreactor, a final biomass concentration of 5.35 g/L with a PHBV content of 72% and volumetric productivity of 0.083 g/L/h were obtained. The calculated yield was 0.259 g PHBV/g mixed acids. Conclusion: Both the yield and PHA content in 150 L bioreactor were comparable to that obtained in 10 L scale where PHBV content ranged from 70- 90% (w/w) of the cell with yield of 0.27- 0.4 g PHBV/g mixed acid, respectively. This is the first report of utilizing mixed organic acids for PHBV biosynthesis in large scale.

Comamonas sp. EB172 mixed organic acids PHBV impeller tip speed

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Cited by 5

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Alberto Rodríguez, Natalia Hernández-Herreros, Virginia Rivero-Buceta · Bioresource Technology · 2026

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