Penicillin Production in Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor by Penicillium chrysogenum Immobilized in Agar

A. Swaroopa Rani, A. Jetty and S. V. Ramakrishna

Abstract
A previously developed immobilization technique involving agar as matrix is investigated further in penicillin production by P. chrysogenum ATCC 10238 at reactor level. Several modifications were found to decrease the germination lag time, including a higher spore concentration, an increased porosity of gel, and decreasing the mass transfer barrier. This approach enabled the production of penicillin from immobilized agar beads within 3–4 h from the onset of continuous system. A continuously immobilized cell stirred tank reactor produced penicillin in which production phase lasted up to 25 days in a steady state manner. The productivity of this system showed 2.5 times more stability than the productivity of the corresponding batch fermentation in stirred tank reactor.

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Keywords
Penicillin, Immobilized agar beads, P. chrysogenum, CSTR