Microbial production of 7-amino-cephalosporanic acid and new generation cephalosporins (cephalothin) by different processing strategies. 
The development of beta-lactam antibiotics has been a continuous battle of the design of new compounds to withstand inactivation by the ever-increasing diversity of beta-lactamases.  Semisynthetic cephalosporins like cephalothin were synthesized from 7-amino-cephalosporanic acid (7-ACA), and thiophene-2-acetic acid using cephalosporin-C acylase enzyme was studied.  The production of cephalosporin-C acylase by Pseudomonas diminuta was used and the growth kinetics studied.  The optimum condition of enzyme activity was determined by using response surface methodology.  A 2(3) full-factorial composite design was employed for experimental design and the result analyzed.  The pH value and temperature for optimum activity were 6.5 and 32 degrees C, respectively.  The structural analog compound similar to the side-chain of semisynthetic cephalosporins, e.g., thiophene-2-acetic acid, was added.  HPLC data analysis indicate that the concentration of cephalothin was 1.6 mg/mL.