Abstract

A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON UPSCALE THROUGH BIOMASS PREPARATION AND IMMOBILISATION OF BREVIBACTERIUM HELVOLUM FOR LABORATORY SET UP OF BIODECAFFEINATION

Sumitha J.*

Abstract

Whole-cell immobilization is a tool to intensify microbiological processes. Several examples of production of a variety of biochemical by immobilized cells have been successfully demonstrated. Though initially our knowledge on physiology of immobilized cells was limited and hypothetical, the use of microelectrodes and development of noninvasive techniques to study the immobilized cells under microenvironment have revealed significant information pertaining to metabolic structural alterations occurring in the cell under immobilized phase. Though a variety of carrier materials have been tried, there are very few reports comparing these in terms of their performance, long-term stability and cost. The observations made with immobilized cells and altered morphology indicates the influence of anchorage on cell me tabolism. Except for a few experimental ventures, most of the experiments have been carried out on a very small scale, and hence very difficult to scale up. The present work focusses around not only for developing feasible microbiological processes with immobilized cells but also for carrying out extensive research in design in bioreactor for bio-decaffeination to solve some of the problems, especially the ones that are connected with diffusional limitations.

Keywords: Biodecaffeination, Immobilisation, Brevibacterium Helvolum.