HYDROGEN REGULATION OF ACETOGENESIS FROM GLUCOSE BY FREELY SUSPENDED AND IMMOBILIZED ACIDOGENIC CELLS IN CONTINUOUS CULTURE

The pattern of end product formation from glucose was examined in an acidogenic culture where the hydrogen partial pressure was controlled by headspace gas recirculation and nitrogen purging. The results demonstrate that physical control of hydrogen displacement can shift the equilibrium toward acetate production with a concomitant fall in reduced end product formation in the freely-suspended cell system. Immobilised acidogenic cell did not show the same pattern of end product formation when subject to reduction in hydrogen partial pressure which has implications for control of methanogenic end product in two stage anaerobic digester systems using immobilised cell technology. © 1990 Science and Technology Letters.