The rate at which fermentation medium reaches an anaerobic state can be impacted by many variables.  To test this impact, an inefficient empirical approach is frequently used in order to demonstrate that the system has reached a sufficiently low reduction level required to support anaerobic growth.  A highly efficient, fundamental approach based on mass transfer theory is presented here.  A mass transfer model was built and validated in order to describe the reduction process.  A series of experiments were performed at small scale (spinner flask) in order to demonstrate model accuracy and predictability power.  The anaerobic fermentation reduction process was successfully characterized by using this fundamental approach.  This concept of applying first-principle science to process development can eliminate the trial and error approach, thus saving resources, time, costs, and can be tested using only medium without the necessity for anaerobic culturing.  The predictive model can be easily utilized for process technology transfer, scale-up, and scale-down at different sites and laboratories.

Novel approach to characterize dissolved oxygen reduction in an anaerobic fermentation system using the Mass Transfer Theory

241st National Meeting (2011)

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