Improved packed bed column bioreactor to produce fungal conidia for biological control

Abstract

There is a growing worldwide demand for biopesticides based on fungal conidia produced in solid-state culture bioreactors. Packed bed column bioreactors (PBCBs) have gained prominence due to their high productivity. In traditional PBCBs, scaling up by increasing the bioreactor diameter is considered an effective strategy. However, this approach presents challenges as the bed porosity diminishes, impeding mycelium propagation, gas exchange, and heat removal. Therefore, this study introduces a novel PBCB design to improve the solid matrix structure for conidia production from Trichoderma harzianum and Metarhizium robertsii. The proposed PBCB design incorporates channelled internal cylinders (ChICs) to elevate the ratio between the wall surface (WS) in contact with the substrate and the working volume (Wv). The conidia production obtained in 28 cm diameter PBCB with ChIC versus that reached in conventional 2.5 cm diameter PBCB were compared to evaluate the effectiveness of design for the diameter increase. The results demonstrate that increasing the WS: Wv ratio significantly enhances porosity, facilitating an almost 172-fold increase in the working volume for conidia production from T. harzianum and M. robertsii without compromising microbial growth or conidia volumetric production (> 6 × 10⁸ conidia cm^− 3). This underscores the effectiveness of adjusting the WS: Wv ratio as a viable strategy for increasing diameter. Incorporating channelled internal cylinders into packed column bed bioreactors enables the expansion of the bioreactor diameter for conidia production from T. harzianum and M. robertsii. This innovative approach should be explored for its potential application in obtaining biomass, enzymes, and metabolites from other microorganisms.

Keywords

Solid-state culture / Trichoderma harzianum / Metarhizium robertsii / Respirometry analysis / Bed porosity

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