Method of highly concentrated cultivation of yeasts
OwnerHideki Fukuda, Takeshi Shiotani +1inventors
InventorsHideki Fukuda, Takeshi Shiotani, Wataru Okada
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Abstract
A broth containing yeast cells is continuously or intermittently removed from a fermentor. Then, yeast cells are separated from the filtrate using a cell separator, or further washed with water. Then, the yeast cells so obtained are recycled to the fermentor, whereby yeasts are cultivated at a high cell concentration of from 6% to about 20% based on dry weight. As discussed herein, by removing the filtrate from the cultivation system, there is no accumulation of metabolites and salts prohibiting the cultivation of yeasts, and further the growth of miscellaneous microorganisms which interfere with yeast cell growth, is surprisingly suppressed.
Claims6
A method of highly concentrated aerobic cultivation of yeast cells in a batch process using a cultivating system comprising a fermentor and a separator, said method comprising:
- cultivating said yeast cells in said fermentor using a feed liquor comprising carbon source, nutrients and diluting water;
- setting the starting--up cell concentration at at least 0.1%;
- removing continuously or intermittently from said fermentor during the course of cultivation, a broth containing a portion of said yeast cells and feed liquor in such a manner that the amount of filtrate removed from said separator is within the range of from 0.3 to 4 times the volume of said feed liquor fed during the course of cultivation;
- separating said broth into yeast cells and filtrate, said filtrate containing growth inhibiting substances;
- removing said filtrate from the cultivation system;
- recycling the total amount of separated yeast cells to said fermentor wherein cultivation is continuing;
- and
- repeating the above steps to bring the final cell concentration between 6% and about 20% thereby to substantially suppress growth of undesired miscellaneous microorgaisms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.