Production of 1,3-propanediol by clostridium butyricum DSM 5431 in an anaerobic moving bed bioreactor

Abstract

Production of 1,3-propanediol (PD) by Clostridium butyricum DSM 5431 was investigated in a moving bed bioreactor with BCN-009 as the cell-supporting material. The results of steady state operation indicated that PD production in a moving bed bioreactor was feasible. The moving bed bioreactor provided good liquid mixing, resulting in a suitable pH range (i.e., pH = 6.9-7.0) throughout the experiment. The maximum PD concentration (33.8 g/l), product yield (0.7), and productivity (16.9 g/l/h) were obtained when the bioreactor was operated using an inlet glycerol concentration and a dilution rate of 60 g/l and 0.5 h-1, respectively. Finally, we conclude that moving bed bioreactors are attractive for future development as seen by higher effluent PD concentrations and productivity compared to other suspended-growth and immobilized bioreactor configurations.