Development of an optimized, simple chemically defined medium for bacterial cellulose production by Acetobacter sp. A9 in shaking cultures.

The genus Acetobacter can synthesize cellulose when grown in an undefined medium containing glucose. By using the technique of the omission of a single medium component, an optimized and simple chemically defined medium was developed to support cellulose production by Acetobacter sp. A9 in shaking culture. It contained 4.0% (w/v) glucose, 0.2% (w/v) (NH(4))(2)SO(4), 0.25% (w/v) KH(2)PO(4), 0.3% (w/v) Na(2)HPO(4).12H(2)O, 0.05% (w/v) MgSO(4).7H(2)O, 0.0002% (w/v) FeSO(4).7H(2)O, 0.00025% (w/v) H(3)BO(3), 0.00006% (w/v) nicotinamide, 0.00025% (w/v) inositol and 1.4% (v/v) ethanol. A maximum cellulose concentration of around 8 g/l was achieved after 9 days of cultivation at 200 rev./min. The production of cellulose by Acetobacter sp. A9 was greater in simplified synthetic medium than in complex medium (Hestrin and Schramm medium) conventionally used for Acetobacter strains.