Biosurfactant production
Biosurfactants are surface-active substances produced by microorganisms and are used in place of synthetic surfactants in cleaning, cosmetic, agricultural and food applications. Rhamnolipids are produced with Pseudomonas species, sophorolipids with Starmerella bombicola and surfactin with Bacillus subtilis. The surface activity of the product creates heavy foam in an aerated culture. Foam management, oxygen transfer and product loss are therefore addressed together.
Application-specific process requirements
Foam control
Foam level is monitored by a sensor; antifoam is dosed when the threshold is exceeded. Because antifoam affects oxygen transfer and purification, dosing is kept to a minimum. In some processes a mechanical foam breaker, or collecting the product with the foam in a separate vessel (foam fractionation), is evaluated within the project.
Hydrophobic carbon sources
In sophorolipid processes, vegetable oil is fed as a second carbon source alongside sugar; in rhamnolipid processes it is often the main carbon source. The oil phase is dispersed by agitation; oil is fed through a separate pump line.
Gas flow and exhaust line
Air flow is kept at a level that meets oxygen demand without increasing foam formation unnecessarily. In the design we address protecting the exhaust line and its filter against foam carry-over. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, commonly used for rhamnolipid production, is a risk group 2 organism; exhaust gas filtration and containment requirements are therefore set at the start of the project.
Production methods used
Talamus models for this application
| Model | Scale | Working volume | Sterilisation | Delivery | Control structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TLM Lab | Laboratory systems | Laboratory scale; vessel volume and number of parallel reactors per configuration | Autoclave | Benchtop | Shared loop and data structure |
| TLM120 | Pilot-scale systems | 20 L seed reactor + 100 L pilot reactor | Automated SIP | Skid-mounted | Shared phase, loop and data structure |
| TLM500 | Pilot-scale systems | 500 L working volume (600 L total) | Automated SIP | Skid-mounted | Shared phase, loop and data structure |
Technical consultation request
Information on the product, strain, carbon source and target product concentration is sufficient for an initial assessment.