Rational design of a scalable bioprocess platform for bacterial cellulose production

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has been gaining importance over the past decades as a versatile material that finds applications in diverse industries. However, a secured supply is hindered by the slow production rate and batch-to-batch variability of the yield. Here, we report a rational approach for characterising the BC production process using Design of Experiment (DoE) methodology to study the impact of different parameters on desired process attributes. Notably, we found that the carbon source used for bacterial growth significantly impacts the interplay between the process variables and affects the desired outcomes. We therefore, propose that the highest priority process outcome in this study, the yield, is a function of the carbon source and optimal reactor design. Our systematic approach has achieved projected BC yields as high as ∼40 g/L for Gluconacetobacter hansenii 53582 grown on sucrose as the carbon source compared to the widely reported yields of ∼10 g/L.