Correlation of Aspergillus niger broth rheological properties with biomass concentration and the shape of mycelial aggregates

Abstract

Aspergillus niger was grown in a 7-L chemostat at biomass levels of 7 to 9 gL(-1); dilution rates of 0.03, 0.05, 0.075, and 0.009 h(-1); and dissolved oxygen tensions of 7%, 12%, and 40% of air saturation. Broth rheological measurements were made on-line, while off-line image analysis was used to measure mycelial morphology, including characterization of mycelial aggregates (clumps). Under all conditions, more than 87% of the hyphase were in clumps, the shape of which determined the rheological characteristics of the broth. In particular, the power law consistency index could be correlated with the biomass concentration and the roughness factor of the clumps, which describes their hairiness. A decrease in specific growth rate decreased roughness, possibly due to changes in the amount of clump breakup. However, decreases of roughness with increasing dissolved oxygen tension might rather imply some effect on hyphal-hyphal interactions within the clumps.