Biochemical Engineering (8CH01), VIII Sem, 2020-21

List of Problems to be solved in the class (Lecture-wise)

Lecture 26:

P18: A strain of mold was grown in a batch culture on glucose and the following data were obtained.

Time (h) Cell Concentration (g/L) Glucose Concentration (g/L)

0 1.25 100
9 2.45 97
16 5.1 90.4
23 10.5 76.4
30 22 48.1
34 33 20.6
36 37.5 9.38
40 41 0.625

a. Calculate the maximum net specific growth rate.

b. Calculate the apparent growth yield.
c. What maximum cell concentration could one expect if 150 g of glucose were used with the
same size inoculum??

P19: A simple, batch fermentation of an aerobic bacterium growing on methanol gave the results
shown in the table.

Time (h) Cell Concentration (g/L) Methanol Concentration (g/L)

0 0.2 9.23

2 0.211 9.21

4 0.305 9.07

8 0.98 8.03

10 1.77 6.8

12 3.2 4.6

14 5.6 0.92

16 6.15 0.077

18 6.2 0
Calculate
Time OUR (g /h) X (g /L) a. Maximum growth rate (µmax).
b. Yield on substrate (YX/S)
0 0.011 0.60 c. Mass doubling time (td)
1 0.008 0.63 d. Saturation constant (Ks)
e. Specific growth rate (µnet) at t = 10 h
2 0.084 0.63
3 0.153 0.76
4 0.198 1.06
P19: A biochemical engineer has determined in her lab that
5 0.273 1.56
the optimal productivity of a valuable antibiotic is achieved
6 0.393 2.23 when the carbon nutrient, in this case molasses, is metered
into the fermenter at a rate proportional to the growth rate.
7 0.493 2.85
However, she cannot implement her discovery in the
8 0.642 4.15 antibiotic plant, since there is no reliable way to measure the
9 0.915 5.37
growth rate (dX/dt) or biomass concentration (X) during the
course of the fermentation. It is suggested that an oxygen
10 1.031 7.59 analyzer be installed on the plant fermenters so that the
11 1.12 9.40
OUR, g/L.h may be measured.
a. Derive expressions that may be used to estimate X
12 1.37 11.40 and dx/dt from OUR & time data, assuming that a
13 1.58 12.22 simple yield & maintenance model may be used to
describe the rate of oxygen consumption by the
14 1.26 13.00 culture.
15 1.58 13.37 b. Calculate values of yield (Y X / O ) and maintenance (
2

m O ) parameters from the following data:

16 1.26 14.47 2

17 1.12 15.37
18 1.20 16.12
19 0.99 16.18
20 0.86 16.67
21 0.90 17.01

P21: Plot the response of a culture to diauxic growth on glucose & lactose based on the following:
μ glucose=1.0 h−1, μlactose =0.6 h−1, Y glucose=Y lactose=0.5
Enzyme induction requires 30 min to complete. Plot cell mass, glucose, and lactose concentrations,
assuming initial values of 2 g/L glucose, 3 g/L lactose and 0.10 g/L cells.
Use time (h) for plotting: 0, 1, 2, 2.3, 2.8, 3.0, 4, 4.3