Fixed bed bioreactors to solid state fermentation: scale-up to cellullase fungal production

Abstract

The objective is to produce cellulases by solid state fermentation (SSF) in fixed bed bioreactor, through various strategies to expand the scale, and by using agro-industrial residues as substrates. At this time of discussion of Brazil's energy matrix, the cellulases are relevant for the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials aimed at producing second-generation ethanol. Although the FES produce high concentrations of enzymes, this technique lacks technological expertise that enables its application in large scale. To contribute to the advancement in the area, this project involves stages of experimentation and simulation. From a bench scale fermenter, several alternatives will be used to expand the scale to overcome the difficulties inherent in the operation of this class of bioreactors, namely the separation of moisture and thermal heterogeneity, culminating in a pilot scale fermenter of 400 L. The fungi to be used will be the thermophilic Myceliophtora sp. and mesophilic Aspergillus niger and the agro-industrial residues will be bagasse from sugar cane and wheat bran. The use of fungi with different characteristics lends itself to assess whether the alternative technologies have found wide application spectrum. To simulate the process, you will need to establish experimentally the growth kinetics of microorganisms. The models to be applied will be the most general possible, predicting the temperature variation as a function of time and space, which will be compared with data from the trials. The project falls under the theme of the FAPESP Research Program on Bioenergy (BIOEN) and the Center for Bioenergy Research Paulista, and is being proposed along the line of research Process Engineering for the Food Industry, the Post-Graduate Engineering and Food Science, Institute of Biosciences, Language, and Science. (AU)