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Production of ethanol from biopolymers by anaerobic, thermophilic, and extreme thermophilic bacteria. II. Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus JW200 and its mutants in batch cultures and resting cell experiments

Journal Article · · Biotechnol. Bioeng. Symp.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6026948

Several thermophilic and extreme thermophilic anaerobic bacteria can utilize hemicellulose (xylan polymer) from birch- and beechwood directly. Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus JW200 exhibited the highest ethanol formation, although the extracellular xylanase and xylosidase activities were very low. All bacteria rapidly utilized xylose before the polymers were utilized at a lower rate. With resting cell suspensions of T. ethanolicus and its mutants, the ethanol formation rates were as high as 60 mmol (2.76 g) and 30 mmol (1.3 g) ethanol per L per h from glucose and xylose, respectively. After 1 hr the ethanol productions in the concentrated cell suspensions were linear for over 10 h from glucose of xylose; however, with soluble starch (DE 10) the rates were increasing with time.From these experiments it is concluded that the continuous culture experiments with hemicellulosic material and/or starch have to be performed with recycling of the cells and the extracellular enzymes.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Georgia, Athens
OSTI ID:
6026948
Journal Information:
Biotechnol. Bioeng. Symp.; (United States), Journal Name: Biotechnol. Bioeng. Symp.; (United States) Vol. 13; ISSN BIBSB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English