Foam formation often impairs the cultivation of microorganisms and cells,
and some recommendations can be made to control these foams using antifoaming agents (AFAs). Pure silicone and polymer AFAs are not suited for foam
suppression in large reactors, because of their inadequate distribution in the
medium. In addition, these AFAs quickly lose their effectiveness, because they
are deposited on the reactor wall. Each emulsion has an optimal concentration
at which they are very efficient. These optima are at very low concentrations.
They have to be evaluated by tests using the original cultivation medium. At
these low concentrations, the AFAs are not toxic for the microorganisms and
they do not impair their growth and product formation. However, they often
reduce the OTR and by that they can cause oxygen limitation. Some experience
is necessary to find the optimum for foaminess control and maintenance of the
required OTR. At high cell concentrations the enrichment of the cells in the
foam is low, which is an advantage of high density cell cultivation.
References
1. Bikerman JJ (1973) Foams. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
2. Prins A, van’t Riet K (1987) TIBTECH 5 : 296
3. Cumper CWN, Alexander AE (1950) Trans Farad Soc 46 : 235
4. Cumper CWN (1953) Trans Farad Soc 49 :1360
5. Kalischewsli K, Schügerl K (1979) Colloid Polym Sci 257 :1099
6. Avrami M (1941) J Chem Phys 9 :177
7. Kalischewski K, Bumbullis W, Schügerl K (1979) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 7 : 21
8. Graham DE, Phillips MC (1976) Proc Symp on Foams, Brunel University. Akers RJ (ed)
Academic Press, p 237
9. Tanford Ch, Buzzel JG (1955) J Am Chem Soc 77 : 6421
10. Kotsaridu M, Gehle R, Schügerl K (1983) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 18 : 60
11. Hofmeister F (1888) Arch Exp Pathol Pharmakol 24 : 247
12. Luck W (1964) Fortschr Chem Forschung 4 : 653
13. Luck W (1976) Top Curr Chem 64 :113
14. Bumbullis W, Kalischewski K, Schügerl K (1979) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 7 :147
15. Bumbullis W, Schügerl K (1979) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 8 :17
16. Mokrushin SG, Zhidkova LG (1959) Colloid J USSR 21: 323
17. Bumbullis W, Schügerl K (1981) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 11:106
18. Mann JA, Hansen RS (1963) J Colloid Sci 18 : 757, 805
19. Lucassen J, Tempel van den (1972) J Colloid Interface Sci 41: 491
20. Gouda JH, Joos P (1975) Chem Eng Sci 30 : 521
21. Bumbullis W, Kalischewski K, Schügerl K (1981) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 11:110
22. Wolfes H, Schügerl K (1983) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 17 : 371
23. Gifford WA, Sciven LE (1971) Chem Eng Sci 26 : 287
24. Szarka L, Magyar K (1969) Biotechnol Bioeng 11: 701
25. Buchholz H, Kalischewski K, Schügerl K (1979) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 7 : 321
26. König B, Kalischewski K, Schügerl K (1979) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 7 : 251
27. Kotsaridu M, Müller B, Pfanz V, Schügerl K (1983) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol
17 : 258
28. Angrick M (1980) Chemie in unserer Zeit 5 : 149
29. Vardar-Sukan F (1998) Biotechnol Adv 16 : 913
30. Noble J, Collins M, Porter N, Varley J (1994) Biotechnol Bioeng 44 : 801
31. Ghildyal NP, Lonsane BK, Karanth NG (1988) Adv Appl Microbiol 33 :173
32. Chisti Y (1993) Bioproc Eng 9 :191
230
K. Schügerl
and some recommendations can be made to control these foams using antifoaming agents (AFAs). Pure silicone and polymer AFAs are not suited for foam
suppression in large reactors, because of their inadequate distribution in the
medium. In addition, these AFAs quickly lose their effectiveness, because they
are deposited on the reactor wall. Each emulsion has an optimal concentration
at which they are very efficient. These optima are at very low concentrations.
They have to be evaluated by tests using the original cultivation medium. At
these low concentrations, the AFAs are not toxic for the microorganisms and
they do not impair their growth and product formation. However, they often
reduce the OTR and by that they can cause oxygen limitation. Some experience
is necessary to find the optimum for foaminess control and maintenance of the
required OTR. At high cell concentrations the enrichment of the cells in the
foam is low, which is an advantage of high density cell cultivation.
References
1. Bikerman JJ (1973) Foams. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
2. Prins A, van’t Riet K (1987) TIBTECH 5 : 296
3. Cumper CWN, Alexander AE (1950) Trans Farad Soc 46 : 235
4. Cumper CWN (1953) Trans Farad Soc 49 :1360
5. Kalischewsli K, Schügerl K (1979) Colloid Polym Sci 257 :1099
6. Avrami M (1941) J Chem Phys 9 :177
7. Kalischewski K, Bumbullis W, Schügerl K (1979) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 7 : 21
8. Graham DE, Phillips MC (1976) Proc Symp on Foams, Brunel University. Akers RJ (ed)
Academic Press, p 237
9. Tanford Ch, Buzzel JG (1955) J Am Chem Soc 77 : 6421
10. Kotsaridu M, Gehle R, Schügerl K (1983) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 18 : 60
11. Hofmeister F (1888) Arch Exp Pathol Pharmakol 24 : 247
12. Luck W (1964) Fortschr Chem Forschung 4 : 653
13. Luck W (1976) Top Curr Chem 64 :113
14. Bumbullis W, Kalischewski K, Schügerl K (1979) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 7 :147
15. Bumbullis W, Schügerl K (1979) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 8 :17
16. Mokrushin SG, Zhidkova LG (1959) Colloid J USSR 21: 323
17. Bumbullis W, Schügerl K (1981) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 11:106
18. Mann JA, Hansen RS (1963) J Colloid Sci 18 : 757, 805
19. Lucassen J, Tempel van den (1972) J Colloid Interface Sci 41: 491
20. Gouda JH, Joos P (1975) Chem Eng Sci 30 : 521
21. Bumbullis W, Kalischewski K, Schügerl K (1981) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 11:110
22. Wolfes H, Schügerl K (1983) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 17 : 371
23. Gifford WA, Sciven LE (1971) Chem Eng Sci 26 : 287
24. Szarka L, Magyar K (1969) Biotechnol Bioeng 11: 701
25. Buchholz H, Kalischewski K, Schügerl K (1979) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 7 : 321
26. König B, Kalischewski K, Schügerl K (1979) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 7 : 251
27. Kotsaridu M, Müller B, Pfanz V, Schügerl K (1983) Eur J Appl Microbiol Biotechnol
17 : 258
28. Angrick M (1980) Chemie in unserer Zeit 5 : 149
29. Vardar-Sukan F (1998) Biotechnol Adv 16 : 913
30. Noble J, Collins M, Porter N, Varley J (1994) Biotechnol Bioeng 44 : 801
31. Ghildyal NP, Lonsane BK, Karanth NG (1988) Adv Appl Microbiol 33 :173
32. Chisti Y (1993) Bioproc Eng 9 :191
230
K. Schügerl