• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.366-374
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• 2015

Herein, we established a repeated-batch process for ethanol production from glycerol by immobilized Pachysolen tannophilus. The aim of this study was to develop a more practical and applicable ethanol production process for biofuel. In particular, using industrial-grade medium ingredients, the microaeration rate was optimized for maximization of the ethanol production, and the relevant metabolic parameters were then analyzed. The microaeration rate of 0.11 vvm, which is far lower than those occurring in a shaking flask culture, was found to be the optimal value for ethanol production from glycerol. In addition, it was found that, among those tested, Celite was a more appropriate carrier for the immobilization of P. tannophilus to induce production of ethanol from glycerol. Finally, through a repeated-batch culture, the ethanol yield (Y_e/g) of 0.126 ± 0.017 g-ethanol/g-glycerol (n = 4) was obtained, and this value was remarkably comparable with a previous report. In the future, it is expected that the results of this study will be applied for the development of a more practical and profitable long-term ethanol production process, thanks to the industrial-grade medium preparation, simple immobilization method, and easy repeated-batch operation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.109-114
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• 2011

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of producing bioethanol from the hydrolysate of rape stem. Specifically, the most ideal yeast strain was screened, and the microaeration was performed by surface aeration on a liquid medium surface. Among the yeast strains examined, Pichia stipitis CBS 7126 displayed the best performance in bioethanol production during the surface-aerated fermentor culture. Pichia stipitis CBS 7126 produced maximally 9.56 g/l of bioethanol from the initial total reducing sugars (about 28 g/l). The bioethanol yield was 0.397 (by the DNS method). Furthermore, this controlled surface aeration method holds promise for use in the bioethanol production from the xylose-containing lignocellulosic hydrolysate of biomass.