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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Design of Solid-State Fermentation Systems for Polymer Hydrolytic Extracellular Enzyme Production by Filamentous Fungi
Published on: June 6, 2025
A mycelium with polyelectrolyte complex-bunched hyphae: several important factors affecting on the fermentation
Takato Mizunuma1, Etsuo Kokufuta, Seigo Sato
1Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
Abstract:
We have reported in the previous paper (Colloids Surf. B (2006) in press) a marked increase in the rate of gluconic acid production at a very high cell concentration (40 g/l) of filamentous fungus (Aspergillus niger IFO 31012) which was immobilized with polyelectrolyte complex consisting of potassium poly(vinyl alcohol) sulfate and trimethylammonium glycol chitosan iodide [6-O-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-(trimethylammonio)-chitosan iodide]. The present study was carried out to look at what factors play a crucial role in this enhancement. We measured viscosity of broth, mass-transfer coefficient (k(L)a) for oxygen and diffusion coefficient of glucose (substrate). It has become apparent that there is only a difference in the diffusion coefficient of glucose between the free and immobilized cells. Therefore, we believe that the diffusion limitation by substrates as a problem in submerged mycelial processes is improved by immobilization based on polyelectrolyte complexes.
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