A New Type of Glucose Fermentation by Clostridium thermoaceticum

Abstract

The thermophilic fermentation of cellulosic material is generally regarded -as a result of the combined action of several species of bacteria, some of which attack the cellulose and others the sugars formed from the breakdown of the cellulose. Much effort has been spent on attempts to isolate the cellulose fermenters but very little attention has been paid to the associated sugar-fer-menting organisms. Snieszko and Kimball (1933) isolated and described two types of such bacteria but gave no chemical data on the fermentation products formed. It, therefore, seemed desirable to make such a study.