고생산성의 알콜 발효용 생물반응기를 개발하기 위하여 sodium alginate로 효모균체를 고정화시킨 후 충전탑 반응기를 제조하였다. 이 때 gel속에 고정화되어 있는 세포에 산소를 공급하기 위하여 배지를 공기로 포화시킨 후 공급하였다. 그 결과 9% 포도당을 함유한 배지를 사용하였을 경우 최대 알콜생산성은 35g/$ell$-gel-hr에서 55g/$ell$-gel-hr로 증가되었고 90%의 전환율을 얻는데 걸리는 시간도 40분에서 25분으로 감소되었다. 즉 고정화세포 충전탑 반응기에서도 배지에 어느 정도의 산소를 공급하면 세포활성의 증가로 발효속도가 현저히 촉진됨을 알 수 있었다.
To achieve higher ethanol productivity in the fermentation system, a continuous ethanol production has been investigated with the air-supplement in a packed-bed immobilized cell reactor system. Yeast cells were immobilized using sodium alginate gel. The results showed that, when the feed medium was saturated with oxygen through aeration into the medium reservoir, the maximum ethanol productivity of the reactor was enhanced from 35 g/$ell$-gel-hr to 55 g/$ell$-gel-hr at the residence time of 10-20 min. and the residence time for the 90% conversion of substrate to ethanol was reduced from 40 min. to 25 min. In case of 18% glucose medium, the maximum productivity was increased from 35 g/$ell$-gel-hr to 45 g/$ell$-gel-hr and time required for 90% conversion was from 90 min to 70 min. This behavior of air-supplemented reactor system might be due to the fact that both growth and viable fraction of yeast within the Eel were increased during reactor operation.
