Culture of Penicillium ulaiense in a batch-reactor: stoichiometric studies

• Published in: World journal of microbiology & biotechnology Vol. 24; no. 7; pp. 1081 - 1090
• Main Authors: Rajal, Verónica Beatriz, Cuevas, Carlos Mario
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.07.2008; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied Microbiology; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; Carbon; Carbon sources; Chemical reactors; Citrus; Citrus fruits; Electrons; Energy; Energy balance; Energy dissipation; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; Glucose; Lactose; Life Sciences; Metabolism; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Original Paper; Penicillium; Studies; Sucrose; Stoichiometry; Energy balance; Culture; Black box description; Fungi; Batchwise; Penicillium; Penicillium ulaiense .Culture; Black box description .Energy balance; Fungi Imperfecti; Reactor
• ISSN: 0959-3993; 1573-0972
• DOI: 10.1007/s11274-007-9578-1

Penicillium ulaiense is a pathogenic, slow growing, fungus that affects citrus fruits post-harvest. This is the first study on the growth of this fungus with different carbon sources. The linear relations between the net conversion rates were used to make the first approach to simulate the system. To accomplish this, P. ulaiense was cultured in a bioreactor using three carbon sources: glucose, sucrose, and lactose. The mass balance for C was closed. A black box model was adopted to describe the system, represented by two macrochemical reactions: (1) formation of biomass and (2) combustion of the C-source. The experimental yield coefficient and the elemental and charge balances were used to determine the linear relations between the net conversion rates of the relevant substances involved and the stoichiometric coefficients. The reaction rates were determined as a function of the independent conversion rates. The energy balance was based on the description of three redox half-reactions: production of biomass, utilization of substrate, and electron transfer. The application of the second law of thermodynamics allowed the calculation of the maximal theoretical yield coefficient. The dissipated energy, the theoretical yield coefficient, the maintenance energies and the thermodynamic efficiencies were also calculated.