Glucose oxidase biosynthesis using immobilized mycelium of Aspergillus niger.

A simple method is described for the immobilization of Aspergillus niger GIV-10 which produces an extracellular glucose oxidase. A. niger conidia were immobilized on sintered glass Raschig rings, pumice stones or polyurethane foam. Mycella growing out from the spores produced extracellular glucose oxidase: the highest production was with the pumice stone carrlers. This technique facilitates the growth of the filamentous cultures in the spongy structure of a support with continuous accumulation of biomass. After 24 to 36 h, a culture liquid with 2.7 to 3.1 U of glucose oxidase/ml was obtained. This procedure also made possible repeated batch enzyme production and as many as 25 subsequent 24-h batches could be fermented by using the same carrier with only a small loss of glucose oxidase activity.