Apparatus for immobilizing microbial cell and method of immobilizing microbial cell using same

An apparatus for immobilizing a microbial cell, the apparatus comprising:

• a mixing tank in which a cell-carrier-containing mixed solution is accommodated;
• a nozzle part;
• and
• a reaction tank in which a cell immobilized bead is formed by contact between the cell-carrier-containing mixed solution and an aqueous curing agent solution,
• wherein the cell-carrier-containing mixed solution is formed by mixing a cell suspension of a microorganism and an aqueous carrier solution with each other,
• wherein a carrier in the cell-carrier-containing mixed solution is selected from the group consisting of agar, agarose, carrageenan, alginate, and chitosan,
• wherein a concentration of the carrier in the cell-carrier-containing mixed solution is 1.0% to 2.5% (w/v),
• wherein the nozzle part has an air injecting part into which air is injected, a cell-carrier-containing mixed solution discharging part and an air discharging part,
• wherein the nozzle part receives the cell-carrier-containing mixed solution from the mixing tank and discharges the cell-carrier-containing mixed solution from the cell-carrier-containing mixed solution discharging part into the reaction tank,
• wherein the air discharging part injects air toward the cell-carrier-containing mixed solution discharged from the cell-carrier-containing mixed solution discharging part,
• wherein a shape of the cell immobilized bead is spherical or almost spherical, the spherical or almost spherical shape of the cell immobilized bead not including elliptical or pellet-type shapes, and
• wherein a size of the cell immobilized bead is 82% to 108% with respect to an inner diameter of the cell-carrier-containing mixed solution discharging part of the nozzle.