A new cultivation method of fungi or mycelia

Abstract

The conventional penicillin submerged culture has several drawbacks: filamentous fungi solidify into pellets or become pulpy, which has so far had bad effects on the separation of penicillin from the broth, on the monitoring and controlling of the culture system as well as on the productivity of penicillin.

By using polyurethane foams as a carrier for the fungi Penicillium chrysogenum, the authors have studied a novel cultivation method for this microorganism. The following results were obtained:

• 1. The effect of urethane foams on the growth characteristics of Penicillium chrysogenum was studied. It was found that the microorganism crept into the carrier, then formed a biofilm of 0.45 mm in thickness on the surface layer of the carrier.

• 2. The use of urethane foams had the effect of improving not only the mass transfer rates of various nutrients, but also that of oxygen in the culture system. Six times as much penicillin could be produced as is obtainable by traditional cultivation methods.

• 3. An operational strategy for the addition of polyurethane Toams to the culture medium could be developed.