초록
<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P><B>BACKGROUND</B></P><P>Succinic acid (SA) biotechnological production represents a promising alternative to the fossil‐fuel based chemical production route. The goal of this study was to develop a SA production process conducted with biofilms of <I>Actinobacillus succinogenes</I> and fed with cheese whey, a lactose‐rich by‐product of the cheese‐making processes.</P><P><B>RESULTS</B></P><P>The screening between five commercial biofilm carriers, based on a statistical analysis of the process rates and yields, led to the selection of Glaxstone®, a sintered glass porous material. The attached‐cell performances obtained when SA production was fed with cheese whey or with pure lactose were equivalent. The feasibility of a repeated batch process of SA production by biofilms of <I>A. succinogenes</I> was demonstrated in a Glaxstone®‐filled 1 L packed bed bioreactor, and an effective sequence of biofilm growth and SA production phases was identified. A SA productivity of 0.72 g<SUB>SA</SUB> L<SUP>‐1</SUP><SUB>packed bed</SUB> h<SUP>‐1</SUP>, a SA specific production rate of 0.18 g<SUB>SA</SUB> g<SUB>protein</SUB><SUP>‐1</SUP> h<SUP>‐1</SUP> and a biofilm concentration of about 4 g L<SUP>‐1</SUP><SUB>packed bed</SUB> were obtained.</P><P><B>CONCLUSIONS</B></P><P>SA bioproduction under biofilm conditions from organic by‐products such as cheese whey is a feasible and promising process. This work represents the first attempt to develop a biofilm‐based process of SA bioproduction from cheese whey. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry</P>