Maximum Oxygen Transfer Capacity Research Articles

Characterization of gas-liquid mass transfer phenomena in microtiter plates.

Gas-liquid mass transfer properties of shaken 96-well microtiter plates were characterized using a recently described method. The maximum oxygen transfer capacity (OTR(max)), the specific mass transfer area (a), and the mass transfer coefficient (k(L)) in a single well were determined at different shaking intensities (different shaking frequencies and shaking diameters at constant filling volume) and different filling volumes by means of sulfite oxidation as a chemical model system. The shape (round and square cross-sections) and the size (up to 2 mL maximum filling volume) of a microtiter plate well were also considered as influencing parameters. To get an indication of the hydrodynamic behavior of the liquid phase in a well, images were taken during shaking and the liquid height derived as a characteristic parameter. The investigations revealed that the OTR(max) is predominantly dependent on the specific mass transfer area (a) for the considered conditions in round-shaped wells. The mass transfer coefficient (k(L)) in round-shaped wells remains at a nearly constant value of about 0.2 m/h for all shaking intensities, thus within the range reported in the literature for surface-aerated bioreactors. The OTR(max) in round-shaped wells is strongly influenced by the interfacial tension, determined by the surface tension of the medium used and the surface properties of the well material. Up to a specific shaking intensity the liquid surface in the wells remains horizontal and no liquid movement can be observed. This critical shaking intensity must be exceeded to overcome the surface tension and, thus, to increase the liquid height and enlarge the specific mass transfer area. This behavior is solely specific to microtiter plates and has not yet been observed for larger shaking bioreactors such as shaking flasks. In square-shaped microtiter plate wells the corners act as baffles and cause a significant increase of OTR(max), a, and k(L). An OTR(max) of up to 0.15 mol/L/h can be reached in square-shaped wells.

Characterisation of the gas–liquid mass transfer in shaking bioreactors

The maximum gas–liquid mass transfer capacity of 250 ml shaking flasks on orbital shaking machines has been experimentally investigated using the sulphite oxidation method under variation of the shaking frequency, shaking diameter, filling volume and viscosity of the medium. The distribution of the liquid within the flask has been modelled by the intersection between the rotational hyperboloid of the liquid and the inner wall of the shaking flask. This model allows for the calculation of the specific exchange area ( a), the mass transfer coefficient ( k L) and the maximum oxygen transfer capacity (OTR max) for given operating conditions and requires no fitting parameters. The model agrees well with the experimental results. It was furthermore shown that the liquid film on the flask wall contributes significantly to the specific mass transfer area ( a) and to the oxygen transfer rate (OTR).

Evaluation of feeding strategies in carbon‐regulated secondary metabolite production through mathematical modeling

AbstractThere is now growing evidence that the production of many secondary metabolic by microorganisms is subjected to carbon‐catabolite regulation. Even though the exact mode of this regulation is not yet clear, an engineering analysis of the production process is still possible based upon a suitable hypothesis. By way of simulation of penicillin fermentation data obtained from the literature, a mechanistic model involving a substrate inhibition kinetics of product formation has been verified in this paper. Such a model has been found successful not only in predicting simple sugar‐feeding strategy, but also a complicated computer guided strategy based upon controlling biomass growth rates in the tropo and idiophases. Using this model, for strategies for sugar feeding into penicillin fermentation have been investigated. These results show that similar penicillin productivities can be obtained using any of these strategies provided fermentations are carried out under optimal conditions corresponding to the strategy chosen. Effect of maximum oxygen transfer capacity of the fermentor under the conditions of fungal growth has been incorporated using an upper limit of biomass concentration on achievement of which the fermentations must be stopped due to serious oxygen limitations. Results of model simulations with such limits throw light upon the way in which different fermentors may behave with respect to product formation.