• KSBB Journal
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2002

The aerobic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris was cultivated continuously in a three-phase fluidized bed bioreactor to produce extracellular polysaccharide xanthan, Fluidized particles of 8.0 mm glass beads were used for disintegrating the large air bubbles even at high viscosities to improve the gas-liquid oxygen transfer rate. Xanthin productivity [kg xanthan/kg cell dry mass·h] and molecular weight increased, with dilution rate in the continuous xanthan fermentations. The specific xanthan productivities were not limited by the oxygen transfer rate and were much higher in the continuous cultivations than those predicted by the results of the batch xanthan fermentations.