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Varying the agitation speed could greatly affect rhamsan gum production by Sphingomonas sp. CGMCC 6833. Batch fermentations at agitation speeds of 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 rpm were therefore carried out. The time course of specific cell growth rate, specific glucose consumption rate, and specific rhamsan gum formation rate was subsequently determined. Based on the results, a novel two-stage agitation speed control strategy was developed. From 0 to 13 H, the high specific cell growth and glucose consumption rates were achieved by setting the agitation speed of the fermenter at 800 rpm. From 13 H onward to the end of fermentation, the glucose consumption rate and specific cell growth rate were high at the agitation speed of 600 rpm. Using this method, the maximum concentration and productivity of rhamsan gum reached 21.63 ± 1.76 g L(-1) and 0.338 ± 0.028 g L(-1)  H(-1) , respectively, which were both higher than the optimum results obtained at constant agitation speeds., (© 2013 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

A three-phase fluidized bed reactor (TPFBR) was designed to evaluate the potential of CoQ(10) production by gel-entrapped Sphingomonas sp. ZUTE03 via a conversion-extract coupled process. In the reactor, the CoQ(10) yield reached 46.99 mg/L after 8 h of conversion; a high-level yield of about 45 mg/L was maintained even after 15 repetitions (8 h/batch). To fully utilize the residual precursor (para-hydroxybenzoic acid, PHB) in the aqueous phase, the organic phase was replaced with new solution containing 70 mg/L solanesol for each 8 h batch. The CoQ(10) yield of each batch was maintained at a level of about 43 mg/L until the PHB ran out. When solid solanesol was fed to the organic phase for every 8 h batch, CoQ(10) could accumulate and reach a yield of 171.52 mg/L. When solid solanesol and PHB were fed to the conversion system after every 8 h batch, the CoQ(10) yield reached 441.65 mg/L in the organic phase after 20 repetitions, suggesting that the conversion-extract coupled process could enhance CoQ(10) production in the TPFBR., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)