IMMOBILIZED CELLS IN FERMENTATION TECHNOLOGY

I seemed to feel that the concept of using immobilizing cells for fermentation technology has been over rated. In theory the idea of using immobilized cells in fermentation technology is good. The assumption is that there is higher number of microorganisms per unit volume compared to equivalent volume of the fermentation broth. This tends to give the feeling of advantage of stochiometry that is; more cells means more product and higher conversion of the substrate into the fermentation products.

What is not often taken into view is that:
1 There is the difference in the physiology and metabolism between suspended cells and attached cells. Immobilized cells tend to have higher metabolic rates
2 There are problems of mass transfer of nutrients, waste products in and out of the immobilized cells
3 The immobilized cells are under stress that might lead to different fermentation products being formed instead of the the main product we are interested
4 Most of the cells in the deeper part of the biofilm are not really functioning metabolically or even alive
5 Its difficult to apply the growth curve with fermentation product as function of the growth curve of suspended cells

There should not be a rush into this biotechnology but instead to carry further research in all aspects of the metabolism and physiology of the attached cells before rushing to apply it into the fermentor configuration


Type rest of the post here.