Zhaoliang Wu

A novel membrane-assisted fermentation coupling with foam separation for improving the titer of polymyxin E

ABSTRACT In this paper, a novel membrane-assisted fermentation coupling with foam separation (M-FCFS) technology was developed to separate polymyxin E from its broth immediately. The effects of starting aeration time, membrane, volumetric airflow rate in foam column, and nitrogen source (i.e. peptone, also known as foam stabilizer) on the production of polymyxin E were studied. Under the optimal conditions, the total titer (TT) of polymyxin E reached 1.29 × 106 IU, resulting in a 50.4% improvement compared with the uncoupling experiment (8.60 × 105 IU). This work combined the advantages of foam separation and membrane filtration, and provided a promising technology for the production of polymyxin E.