A fibrous bed bioreactor to improve the productivity of succinic acid by Actinobacillus succinogenes

BACKGROUND Succinic acid is one of the most important biorefinery platform chemicals. The fibrous‐bed bioreactor (FBB), comprising spiral cotton fiber packed in a modified bioreactor, is effective for anaerobic cell‐immobilized fermentation. In this study, fermentation production of succinic acid by Actinobacillus succinogenes using a FBB was investigated. RESULTS The effect of different initial glucose concentrations on succinic acid production in batch fermentation in a FBB was examined, which indicated that the optimal initial glucose concentration was 55 g L‐1. In 10 batches of repeated‐batch fermentation, the average succinic acid productivity, concentration, and yield were 3.61 g L‐1 h‐1, 39.0 g L‐1, and 0.85 g g‐1, respectively. A maximum succinic acid concentration of 98.7 g L‐1 was reached in fed‐batch fermentation comprising four batches of fermentation, with a succinic acid yield of 0.89 g g‐1 and productivity of 2.77 g L‐1 h‐1. CONCLUSION Succinic acid fermentation by A. succinogenes in a FBB was successfully performed to enhance succinic acid productivity. And also, high succinic acid concentration with high reactor productivity and yield were simultaneously achieved in the FBB with fed‐batch fermentation.