Patent ID: 7579163
Filing Date: 2009-08-25
Classification: A23J,B01J,C12M

Abstract:
1. A process for the production of biomass comprising: (A) culturing a microorganism in an aqueous liquid culture medium which circulates in a loop reactor, wherein said reactor has an effluent gas removal zone where from carbon dioxide-containing effluent gas is removed from the reactor, and wherein upstream of said an effluent gas removal zone, said reactor has a degassing zone in which a driving gas is introduced to drive and in which carbon dioxide in the liquid phase is driven into a separable effluent gas phase, and wherein upstream of said degassing zone, said reactor has a nutrient gas introduction zone in which oxygen is introduced into the reactor and mixed with the liquid culture medium therein, wherein oxygen is introduced at a controlled rate in said nutrient gas introduction zone at a plurality of locations along a loop-reactor flow path through said loop reactor, so as to achieve an average dissolved oxygen content of said liquid culture medium measured using a polarographic oxygen electrode of not greater than 25 parts per million (ppm) by weight; and (B) harvesting biomass from said reactor.