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Updated: Jul 31, 2026
12:04
Microfluidic Picoliter Bioreactor for Microbial Single-cell Analysis: Fabrication, System Setup, and Operation
Published on: December 6, 2013
High-cell-density cultivation of microorganisms
1Hans Knöll Institute for Natural Product Research, Jena, Germany. driesenb@pmail.hki-jena.de
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
|May 26, 1999
Summary
High-cell-density cultivation (HCDC) enhances microbial biomass and product yield. This review covers HCDC strategies, bioreactors, and advanced fermentation control for industrial applications.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Microbial Cultivation
Background:
- High-cell-density cultivation (HCDC) is crucial for maximizing microbial biomass and product formation in industrial biotechnology.
- Achieving high cell densities presents challenges in maintaining optimal growth conditions and preventing product inhibition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of high-cell-density cultivation (HCDC) techniques for various microorganisms.
- To discuss challenges, solutions, and advancements in HCDC, including bioreactor design and control strategies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on HCDC strategies, bioreactor types, and fermentation control methods.
- Analysis of strain improvements, feeding strategies, and advanced control systems like artificial neural networks and expert systems.
Main Results:
- HCDC is applicable to bacteria, archaea, and eukarya (yeasts), with Escherichia coli serving as a model organism.
- Various bioreactor designs (e.g., stirred-tank, membrane, gas-lift) and feeding strategies enable unlimited growth to very dense cultures.
- Advanced fermentation control methods, including multivariate statistics and artificial intelligence, are essential for robust HCDC.
Conclusions:
- Successful HCDC requires optimized strains, appropriate bioreactors, advanced feeding strategies, and sophisticated fermentation control.
- These advancements are critical for meeting the growing industrial demand for microbial products through efficient cultivation.
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