Bioreactor for production of products with immobilized biofilm

Abstract

A bioreactor is provided for production of products by biosynthesis or biotransformation using a biofilm of immobilized cells. The bioreactor includes a horizontal cylindrical housing and a central rotatable shaft which extends along the axis of the housing. Connected to the central shaft are one or more screens which are oriented parallel to the shaft, with a small gap between the shaft and the screen. The bioreactor further includes a slidable blade which is mounted onto the shaft, through a set of poles, and which is located at a fixed distance from the screen so that the blade is made to pass over the screen by the force of gravity as the shaft rotates, as by the action of a rotating external magnet. An example of use of the bioreactor is the production of .UPSILON.-decalactone from castor oil using Tyromyces sambuceus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.