Over-pressurized bioreactors : application to microbial cell cultures

In industrial biotechnology, microbial cultures are exposed to different local pressures inside bioreactors. Depending on the microbial species and strains, the increased pressure may have detrimental or beneficial effects on cellular growth and product formation. In this review, the effects of increased air pressure on various microbial cultures growing in bioreactors under moderate total pressure conditions (maximum, 15 bar) will be discussed. Recent data illustrating the diversity of increased air pressure effects at different levels in microbial cells cultivation will be presented, with particular attention to the effects of oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressures on cellular growth and product formation, and the concomitant effect of oxygen pressure on antioxidant cellular defense mechanisms.The authors thank the FCT Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 and the Project "BioInd-Biotechnology and Bioengineering for improved Industrial and Agro-Food processes, REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000028," cofunded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER. A special aknowledgement is given to FCT for the support to the improvement of infrastructures awarded by the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462)

Over-pressurized bioreactors : application to microbial cell cultures

In industrial biotechnology, microbial cultures are exposed to different local pressures inside bioreactors. Depending on the microbial species and strains, the increased pressure may have detrimental or beneficial effects on cellular growth and product formation. In this review, the effects of increased air pressure on various microbial cultures growing in bioreactors under moderate total pressure conditions (maximum, 15 bar) will be discussed. Recent data illustrating the diversity of increased air pressure effects at different levels in microbial cells cultivation will be presented, with particular attention to the effects of oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressures on cellular growth and product formation, and the concomitant effect of oxygen pressure on antioxidant cellular defense mechanisms.The authors thank the FCT Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 and the Project "BioInd-Biotechnology and Bioengineering for improved Industrial and Agro-Food processes, REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000028," cofunded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER. A special aknowledgement is given to FCT for the support to the improvement of infrastructures awarded by the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462)