Performance of an intermittent agitation rotating drum type bioreactor for solid-state fermentation of wheat straw.

A laboratory bioreactor, designed for solid-state fermentation of thermophilic microorganisms, was operated for production of cellulases and hemicellulases by the thermophilic fungus Thermoascus aurantiacus. The suitability of the apparatus for the effective control of important operating variables affecting growth of microbes in solid-state cultivation was determined. Application of the optimum conditions found for the moisture content of the medium, growth temperature and airflow rate produced enzyme yields of 1709 U endoglucanase, 4 U cellobiohydrolase, 79 U beta-glucosidase, 5.5 U FPA, 4490 U xylanase and 45 U beta-xylosidase per g of dry wheat straw. The correlation between microorganism growth and production of enzymes was efficiently described by the Le Duy kinetic model.