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Model for the production of L-tryptophan from L-serine and indole by immobilized cells in a three-phase liquid-impelled loop reactor

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Abstract

Production of L-tryptophan from L-serine and indole catalyzed by Escherichia coli, immobilized in k-carrageenan gel beads, is technically feasible in the liquidimpelled loop reactor (LLR), using an organic solvent, e.g. n-dodecane.

With L-serine in large excess intrinsic reaction kinetics is approximately first order with respect to indole, with a reaction constant of 8.5×10−5 m3 kg −1dw s−1.

The overall process kinetics is jointly controlled by intrinsic kinetics and by intraparticle mass transfer resistance, which can be quantified using an effectiveness factor.

Mass transfer of indole from the organic to the aqueous phase and from the aqueous to the gel phase are relatively fast and thus have negligible influence in the overall process kinetics, under the operational conditions tested. However, they may become important if the process is intensified by increasing the cell concentration in the gel and/or the gel hold-up in the reactor.

A simple model which includes indole mass balances over the aqueous and organic phases, mass transfer and reaction kinetics, with parameters experimentally determined in independent experiments, was successful in simulating L-tryptophan production in the LLR.

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Abbreviations

a, b, c :

coefficients of the equilibrium curve for indole between organic and aqueous phases

A, B, C, D, E, F :

auxiliary variables used in liquid-liquid mass transfer studies

a x :

specific interfacial area referred to the volume of the aqueous phase (m−1)

A x :

interfacial area (m2)

a Y :

specific interfacial area referred to the volume of the organic phase (m−1)

A Y :

interfacial area (m2)

C b :

substrate concentration in the bulk of the aqueous phase (kg m−3)

C e :

substrate concentration in exit stream (kg m−3)

C E :

biocatalyst concentration referred to the aqueous phase (kg m−3)

C E s :

biocatalyst concentration referred to the volume of gel (kg m−3)

C s :

substrate concentration at the gel surface (kgm−3)

d, e, f :

coefficients of the equilibrium curve for indole between aqueous and organic phases

dp :

particle diameter (m)

K 2 :

kinetic constant (s−1)

K 1 :

kinetic constant K2/KM (kg−1 m3 s−1)

K M :

Michaälis-Menten constant (kgm−3)

K X :

mass transfer coefficient referred to the aqueous phase (ms−1)

K XaX :

volumetric mass transfer coefficient based on the volume of the aqueous phase (s−1)

k Y :

mass transfer coefficient referred to the organic phase (ms−1)

K YaY :

volumetric mass transfer coefficient based on the volume of the organic phase (s−1)

N X :

mass flux of indole from organic to aqueous Phase (kg m−2s−1)

N Y :

mass flux of indole from aqueous to organic phase (kg m−2s−1)

Q e :

volumetric flow rate in exit stream (m3s−1)

Q f :

volumetric flow rate in feed stream (m3s−1)

ℜobs :

observed reaction rate (kg s−1 m−3)

ℜ:

intrinsic reaction rate (kg s−1 m−3)

Re :

Reynolds number

Sc :

Schmidt number

Sh :

Sherwood number

t :

time (s)

u :

superficial velocity (m s−1)

V max :

maximum reaction rate (kg s−1m−3)

V S :

volume of the support (m3)

V X :

volume of aqueous phase (m3)

V Y :

volume of the organic phase (m3)

X :

indole concentration in the aqueous phase (kgm−3)

Y :

indole concentration in the organic phase (kg m−3

η :

overall effectiveness factor

η e :

external effectiveness factor

η i :

internal effectiveness factor

Φ :

Thiele module

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Engenharia Bioquímica, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1096, Lisboa Codex, Portugal

    D. M. R. Mateus & M. M. R. da Fonseca

  2. Secção de Fenómenos de Transferência, Instituto Superior Técnico, 1096, Lisboa Codex, Portugal

    S. S. Alves

Authors
  1. D. M. R. Mateus
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  2. S. S. Alves
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  3. M. M. R. da Fonseca
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A fellowship awarded to one of us (D.M.R.)by INICT is gratefuly acknowledged.

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Mateus, D.M.R., Alves, S.S. & da Fonseca, M.M.R. Model for the production of L-tryptophan from L-serine and indole by immobilized cells in a three-phase liquid-impelled loop reactor. Bioprocess Engineering 14, 151–158 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369433

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369433

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