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Updated: Jan 27, 2026
The Use of Drip Flow and Rotating Disk Reactors for Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Analysis
Published on: December 27, 2010
Mixed-species biofilms for high-cell-density application of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in capillary reactors for
Anna Hoschek1, Ingeborg Heuschkel1, Andreas Schmid1
1Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research, UFZ Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
Abstract:
Photosynthetic microorganisms have enormous potential to produce fuels and value-added compounds sustainably. Efficient cultivation concepts that enable optimal light and CO2 supply are necessary for the realization of high cell densities (HCDs), and subsequently for process implementation. We introduce capillary biofilm reactors with a high surface to volume ratio, and thus enhanced light availability, enabling HCDs of photo-autotrophic microorganisms. However, oxygenic photosynthesis leads to O2 accumulation in such systems, impairing biofilm growth. We combined O2 producing Synechocystis with O2 respiring Pseudomonas using proto-cooperation to achieve HCDs of up to 51.8 gBDW L-1. This concept was coupled to the challenging C-H oxyfunctionalization of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol with a remarkable conversion of >98% and selectivity of 100% (KA oil). High photoautotrophic biocatalyst concentrations were established and resulted in a productivity of 3.76 gcyclohexanol m-2 day-1, which was maintained for at least one month.
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