PRODUCTION OF BACILLUS-THURINGIENSIS SPORES IN TOTAL CELL RETENTION CULTURE AND 2-STAGE CONTINUOUS-CULTURE USING AN INTERNAL CERAMIC FILTER SYSTEM

The production of Bacillus thuringiensis spores was investigated in a bioreactor incorporating a ceramic membrane filter to improve spore concentration and volumetric productivity. Two cultivation methods were used in this study: a total cell retention culture (TCRC), and a two-stage continuous culture with partial cell bleeding. In the TCRC, fed by 50 g/L of glucose, a spore concentration of 1.6 x 10(10) CFU/mL was obtained with a spore percentage of greater than 95% and a maximum cell mass of 82.2 g/L. The volumetric productivity was four times higher than that obtained from batch cultivation. In the two-stage continuous culture with partial cell bleeding spore concentration was strongly dependent on the bleed ratio. The spore concentration of 1.8 x 10(9) CFU/mL and the spore percentage of 70% were obtained at the second stage when a bleed ratio of 0.33 and a dilution rate of 0.23 h-1 were used. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.